


The End is a Beginning

by ImfictionWriting



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Future, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Drama, F/M, Ghosty McGhostface, Higgins PI, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Mentions of PTSD and depression, Murdramedy, Paranormal, Pre-Season/Series 01, Romance, Season/Series 01, Supernatural Elements, but it's ok, it's a ghost story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 36
Words: 49,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29571915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImfictionWriting/pseuds/ImfictionWriting
Summary: Thomas was sure the Universe hated him, Juliet had the opposite opinion.
Relationships: Juliet Higgins/Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV, Orville Wilbur Richard "Rick" Wright/Original Female Character(s), Theodore "T.C." Calvin/Original Female Character
Comments: 127
Kudos: 110





	1. The End is a Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been floating around my head from the day I watched, "Heaven Can Wait", "The Ghost and Mrs Muir" and "Singing in the Rain" all on the same day! I can't recommend these movies enough.  
> Magnum P.I. 2018 Characters not mine. Just having fun.  
> All constructive criticism will be thoughtfully considered with a great deal of thanks in advance.  
> Please tell me of any and all oopsies. I do hope someone finds this entertaining.

Gordon Katsumoto looked back to his friend Juliet Higgins who was slowly making her way up from the beach to the broad area of lawn at the lower section of the manicured gardens, the dogs running circles around her as she walked. He turned back to the water gently lapping in front of him and forward to the horizon where the clear blue sky met the ocean. He took a deep breath and sighed before turning to his right side, the three ex navy men, replete in their Military finest suits, Kumu smiling, wearing the most perfect Plumeria flower in her hair. Heavily pregnant Lara Nuzo next to Jake and Noelani at the end of the line holding a pretty wreath of flowers.

Rick made brief eye contact with Gordon, who nodded, then Rick turned to the rest of the group and clapping his hands loudly stated, “I need a beer. Who want's a beer?”

Over the sound of all agreeing, Noelani could be heard asking Kumu, in a confused voice, “That's it?”

Gordon looked up at the sprawling estate, 'Robins Nest', and wondered, _'How the Hell did I end up here?_ ”

  
  



	2. It's Beautiful Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey,” She said and the man turned towards her again, head tilted slightly to the side, “stay as long as you need,” the man nodded starting to turn back to the window, “but, if they are your friends, they need you more down there than here, ...perhaps?”

**Quite a while earlier.**

Juliet Higgins had been Majordomo at the Hawaiian estate of World Famous journalist and author Robin Masters for a little over five months when his personal assistant called. She'd been asked to prepare the rooms of the Main and Guest House for a private function. A group of Robin's military friends were invited for the weekend and she would have an all expenses paid stay at a lovely suite at the Hilton Hawaiian for the duration. It would be a holiday away from the holiday lifestyle that this dream job already provided. 

She would miss the dogs and the privacy, but what ever the boss wanted, the boss would get.

The rooms had been freshened and tidied, the kitchen stocked and her own bedroom space closed with a note to kindly leave undisturbed. The Lads, her affectionate name for the two guard dogs Apollo and Zeus were left to roam the property. They were fierce looking Dobermans trained to guard but really were lovely dogs. With automatic food and water dispensers filled she was ready to leave the estate and for it's owner and visitors all to party.

Kumu had left to go to her house earlier that morning and all that was left was Juliet to handover, ensure the new security protocols with the remote gate locks were understood. This was the first time Robin Masters had returned to the property since she had signed on as Majordomo. She was eager to make sure her employer was happy. Needless to say both her and Kumu had been intensely interested to know what was going on, but being the _mostly_ professional person she was would settle for just a quick sticky beak whilst she waited.

However when she saw her boss exit the helicopter it had been obvious from his somber mood and dark fitted suit that today wasn't going to be a party. His personal pilot Theodore, 'Call me TC', was introduced and was similarly somber, wearing a crisp dark military uniform. Numerous shiny colored awards that she couldn't recognize but inferred bravery on his chest. Posture straight and hat under his arm as he waited for her to finish talking with Robin. She gave TC a small smile and a nod after Robin had taken the pared down clone of her phone that had the controls for the gate and the automated house system.

Juliet walked across to the guest house were she had left her small suitcase when the alarm for the front gate sounded, instead of her ride to take her to her extended weekend at the resort it was a procession of two vehicles, a van and another sedan. She saw that Robin had successfully let them into the estate and so she settled on the lounge looking out to the ocean to wait for her Uber. She settled with her phone and caught up on the news of the day when out of her peripheral vision she saw movement outside. 

Walking towards the beach, Robin in his dark suit, Theodore and two other similarly attired men in crisp military uniforms and a woman in a dark dress holding the hand of a young child. She couldn't determine the age from this distance, but a little boy by the clothing. The woman stooped down to pick up the child who was walking slowly. The group made their way down to the beach. Juliet stood up to watch more closely but at this distance all she could see were their heads as they were now down on the beach. ' _ A memorial?' _ she thought. Juliet turned back to the room to leave the group to their privacy and finish her wait for the ride when she was startled to see another man standing near her looking out towards the water.

“Oh, you startled me. I didn't expect you there.” Juliet said.

The man stared at her a moment before replying, “Sorry.” He looked back towards the water. “It's very beautiful here.” He added.

Juliet thought that the man seemed to be in slight shock. Given the apparent mood of the other members of the group and their body language as she had seen them stand and move had settled in her mind that today was some form of memorial. It made the whole estate feel, ...sad somehow. Juliet had come to appreciate why Robin had set her up in a hotel the next three nights. He wasn't kicking her out for their privacy as much as removing her from witnessing their grief.

This man standing in front of her was also wearing military garb, unlike the other men was not in dress uniform but rather the camouflage pants and tan t-shirt that was used in desert environs. Perhaps he didn't have enough time to change before arriving from one of the local military bases?

“Are you a friend of Robin's?” She asked, more to be polite, it was obvious he was, otherwise he wouldn't be here.

“Robin?” The Hispanic-looking man with wild hair, answered. “Robin Masters was a journalist...”

“Yeah, before he wrote the books.” Juliet agreed. The man's hair was rather long and floppy and his beard scruffy, _'was that regulation?'_ she thought. The military had rules about things like that, didn't they? But his uniform was clean. Perhaps he was discharged?

“Robin is my friend.” The man looked out towards the the group in the distance. “Rick, Nuzo, T.C...” He seemed to lose his train of thought.

“You know the pilot?” Juliet asked, her curious mind not being able to stop the fact check, just to make sure this wasn't someone who just jumped over the gate.

The man nodded. Then she had the message to say the Uber driver was at the front gate. As she left, overnight case trundling behind her she turned back to the man who was again staring out the window down towards the water and she was struck again by the feeling that this was a very somber and sad moment for this group of friends. What ever had happened had obviously hit them all hard.

“Hey,” She said and the man turned towards her again, head tilted slightly to the side, “stay as long as you need,” the man nodded starting to turn back to the window, “but, if they are your friends, they need you more down there than here, ...perhaps?”

The man briefly raised his eyebrows in a 'maybe' expression. As she turned again to leave out the guest house's front door she could see in her peripheral vision that the man had exited out the room and was slowly heading toward the beach.

  
  



	3. One Conversation More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was now wearing tan shorts and a loud red Hawaiian shirt. He had also lost the beard and had a haircut. As he came within a hundred feet of the buildings he looked up, seemingly surprised to see her.

Juliet's long weekend at the resort was lovely. The food was fantastic. Lots of swimming and lazing by the pool with long nights of restful sleep _and_ she had a relaxation massage _and_ a facial. When she returned to Robins Nest it was to find the cleaning service giving the main building a once over and a handwritten note from Robin Masters propped next to the fruit bowl on the kitchen island. 'Her' room had been untouched and she returned to her normal tasks of organizing payroll for the estates staff and finalizing the events for the next quarter of the year.

The job was too easy, utilized too few of her skills and in the main was pretty boring. But after the last few years of her life, when that thought surfaced now, she would remind herself to be grateful and enjoy it. This work was safe and stress free. It had been what she wanted, what she needed. Taking a glass of icy lemonade in hand she walked over to the patio at the back of the property. These thoughts always happened when she 'relaxed' too much these days. _'Perhaps a swim today or a good long run?'_ she thought as she looked over the lawns.

She saw movement at the side of the beach nearest the plantation edge of the property. As the person walked back up the lawns towards the property she realized it wasn't one of the landscapers or gardeners but the same man she had seen days before. He was now wearing tan shorts and a loud red Hawaiian shirt. He had also lost the beard and had a haircut. As he came within a hundred feet of the buildings he looked up, seemingly surprised to see her. He stopped and stared at her a moment before raising his hand and waving at her. She smiled and waved back. For a moment it looked as if he would continue to walk up to speak with her, but her attention was diverted by a question from one of the cleaning staff. When her gaze returned to the water view, the man was no longer in her sight.

Over the next few weeks she would see him from time to time. The lads seemed to love him, and she saw them usually walking the perimeter of the estate. One time he was in the garages as she returned the Range Rover from a shopping trip.

“I'm sure Mr Masters would let you drive them, if you asked him.” She said as she opened the rear hatch to take out three of the five heavy bags. The man was standing near the shiny red Ferrari. Again for a moment he seemed slightly taken aback that she was addressing him.

“That's OK.” He said. Juliet turned back to the shopping, debating hauling all five bags versus making two trips. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask for help when she looked back up and the man was gone again. She looked back at the bags and scowled again before deciding two trips. _'He could at least have offered.'_ she thought before reminding herself that she forgot to ask his name again. She wasn't one to second guess Mr Masters and his generosity, after all she benefited the most and didn't want to rock the boat, but she was curious as to how long the guest house would be occupied.


	4. A Place of Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When she turned back around, Thomas was gone. “Navy Seal, my arse.” She said under her breath. The guy moved like a Ninja, 'government spook more like it'.

By the two month mark of seeing the man, who she now knew was Thomas Magnum lazing around the estate, she really started to be annoyed at his seeming abuse of Mr Masters largesse. Often he would walk around and hang out leaning against a pillar outside her claimed office space and chat as she worked on her laptop, or more often and more honestly, just played chess. Today he was lounging around on the hammock near the pavilion that was her favored yoga place near the water.

“How long is this holiday of yours going to last?” She asked, yoga mat and towel under her arm.

Thomas grinned and brought his arms up to rest his head on his hands, the picture of relaxation.

“Not sure, to be honest.”

Juliet rolled her eyes. “You need a job.”

“What would I do?”

“I don't know, what can you do? There isn't much of a market for layabouts in this country.”

Thomas sighed and his grin fell. “I used to be a Navy Seal.” He said staring back out over the water.

Juliet's posture softened and she put her towel and mat down on the pavilion and hoisted herself up so she was sitting over the edge. “I understand.” Of all people she knew best how difficult it was to wind down from a dynamic high stress, high danger job and to try to find normality 'normal' again. To stop looking over her shoulder and threat assessing everyone she passed on the street.

“Oh? What did you used to do before coming here and playing endless online chess games?” He was grinning again.

Juliet scowled. Filling her day was difficult enough without being judged. Being Majordomo of this Estate was a privilege, but it certainly didn't mean a lot of work. She narrowed her eyes at the grinning man. “At least I have a job.”

Thomas's smile widened. “Yeah, but what did you used to do? Why would you need a gun...”

Juliet Higgins was outraged. She stood up pointing at the man, “Did you search my bedroom?” she almost screeched.

Thomas held his hands up placatingly and laughed. “Off course not, Higgins. But now I know you have a gun in your bedroom. Just, ...you look like you used to be a cop or something, you 'scan' the area a lot.”

Rookie error and major evidence that she was losing her mind even more than she thought she had already in this place, boredom and stasis making her rusty to the most basic of verbal trickery. She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. It wasn't his fault she was angry at the world, still. She shouldn't take it out on him. If Mr Masters was generous at having his friend stay here, it wasn't her job to nag him to get a job. From his behavior and oft down expression and confirmation of his prior occupation she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He didn't seem to ever leave the estate either.

Juliet recalled the lost, wild look he had had in his eyes the first day she met him and sighed again. “I have an errand to run in the city later today, do you want to come with me?” For a brief moment she saw a brief flicker of hope in his eyes before his smiled faded.

“I'd better stay here.”

Juliet turned to set up her yoga mat in the pavilion. When she turned back around, Thomas was gone. “Navy Seal, my arse.” She said under her breath. The guy moved like a ninja, _'government spook more like it'_ , she thought stretching her arms above her head.

  
  



	5. A Place to Explore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Maybe if you got a job you could afford a mobile phone.” 
> 
> “Maybe if you picked up another hobby besides online chess, crosswords and model ship building you would have less time to nag me about phones.”

It would take another week before Thomas would take her up on the offer to go to the city. Between her turning around to close the grate at the front door and turning back he was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Range Rover that was parked at the front of the house.

They were chatting idly when Thomas became silent as the main gates to the estate opened at the press of the remote. He leaned forward slightly in the seat as they came to the gate, no seat belt, Juliet noted. She was about to admonish him when a look of caution came over his face as they passed through the open gates, he turned back in the seat to watch them close behind the car as they continued to move forward. They turned onto the main arterial road that led to the highway towards the city.

“OK,” He said grinning, “that's different.”

Juliet raised an eyebrow. “You need to put on your seat belt.” But her words weren't heard as her companion simply stared out the passenger window at the scenery. She tried to make conversation a few more times on the short trip to the city, but gave up when he didn't respond. Juliet took a deep breath then pressing some buttons on the steering wheel activated the radio. Thomas briefly looked her way grinning before turning back to the vista out the window.

She found a parking spot and turned to Thomas. “I'll be back in 45 minutes.”

“OK” He said smiling at her briefly before turning his head to the beach and the numerous people within his field of vision.

“Do you want the keys...”

“Nah, you keep em.” She exited the car, Thomas remaining in the passenger seat. _'Odd',_ Juliet tucked the keys into her pocket, checking her other side pocket for her phone and closed the door behind her, it wasn't as if the car could be driven without the key and it would auto lock when he left the car. Thirty five minutes later after a quick trip to the post office and bank she returned to the car package in hand. The market would be next.

Thomas wasn't in the car.

She looked around herself at the beach and the streets, he could be anywhere. In the end she waited twenty minutes beyond what time she originally stated, sitting at a table near the car reading the news on her phone. It was nice in the shade. She contemplated a coffee when she looked at her watch. Again she looked up and sighed. He could be anywhere and she hadn't thought to ask for his mobile number. She walked slowly back to the car and looked around herself one more time before getting in and starting the engine.

She felt slightly guilty that she didn't wait longer, even though it was ridiculous to. She made her way to her favorite supermarket and figured he would make his own way back home.

When she returned to Robin's Nest she found him waiting for her, sitting against a pillar near the lounge room, grinning.

“I was worried about you, you know? I waited...” She said putting her shopping bags up on the island. She turned back to see he had stood up grinning wildly her way. She shook her head, “did you take an Uber or something?”

“Or something.” He said and she rolled her eyes.

“Would you like a coffee or to stay for dinner?” She asked and she could see as his mood changed from happy to somber again, ' _what did I say wrong now?'_

“I'd love to, Higgins...”

“But?” She said urging him on to finalize that sentence.

He stared at her a moment, mood turned sad again. “I better go.” He said finally, thumb pointed over his shoulder indicating the guest house.

Between Juliet taking the Almond Milk carton out of the bag and putting it in the fridge and turning back, Thomas had left again. Silent like a Ninja. Juliet rolled her eyes and returned to putting away her groceries.

They slowly became friends. Juliet was sure that the man was depressed and or suffering from PTSD and it was obvious he avoided the ground staff and made himself scarce when Kumu or the cleaning staff was around. Thomas was just the quiet guy who lived 'next door' who thankfully never played music loudly or had wild parties. Juliet was grateful for that. At times it was on the tip of her tongue to ask why such an objectively handsome and seemingly kind man wasn't having more parties and visitors but she knew if she did he would just ask her the same. She wasn't ready for that. Juliet didn't in any way want to talk about her own, _almost certain_ depression and _very possible_ PTSD so kept quiet on the subject. But she did wonder.

Sometimes he would join her in her trips around the island. Each time leaving to wander around and always finding his way back. She would continue to nag about his lack of seat belts but as they never seemed to be pulled over by the cops, the dark windows perhaps? It became an ongoing joke.

Thomas was adamant he didn't have, need or want a mobile phone which would set Juliet off on a rant about '2017' that he would find amusing to no end.

“Maybe if you got a job you could afford a mobile phone.” She said.

“Maybe if you picked up another hobby besides online chess, crosswords and model ship building you would have less time to nag me about phones.” He had been standing leaning against the open wall to the patio when he said it. Juliet threw an orange at him which must have only narrowly missed him given her aim and went rolling down the lawn much to the delight of Apollo and Zeus who went chasing after it.


	6. Becomes a Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Thomas is dead. I watched him die. I helped carry him out of the hellhole we were in.” He threw the rag onto the front seat of the chopper and turned back to her. “I don't know who you were talking with yesterday. But that aint Thomas Magnum.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go... warning, we find out how it happened...

Life was completely mundane and perfectly normal until the day she went to the airport to drop off a package. It had arrived at the estate from Robin Masters' lawyer and needed sending on to TC, Mr Masters' personal pilot and current new helicopter tour operator. It had seemed inefficient to use a courier or send it back through the post when it wasn't that far away and she could take it.

Thomas wasn't around the guest house to ask if he wanted a ride, likely off for another swim or walk around the property. He seemed to exercise a lot. Perhaps, like her, he did his best thinking when moving?

The traffic wasn't bad this time of day. She found her way, guided by the shiny new signs to 'Island Hoppers' around the rear of the Airport. Juliet didn't have TC's direct phone number and hadn't thought to try the tour number to ensure he'd be there. But as she pulled up alongside a colorfully striped brown helicopter, with the same logo emblazoned as the signs, she saw the tall black man standing to the side. She parked the car and looked at the man. He was wearing overalls, rag in hand and was wiping down the side of the aircraft. She was glad he was there. _'At least this errand won't take long',_ she thought, putting the car into park and turning off the engine.

She reached over for the thick padded envelope and exited the car, walking forward and reached for the man's outstretched right hand to shake, her smaller hand engulfed in his.

“Hello Ms Higgins, how can I help you today?” The big man asked smiling broadly.

Juliet scoffed. “Please, just Juliet,” she said smiling, “wow she looks shiny and new.” She indicated the aircraft.

“Well newly painted at least. Well cared for too before I got her.” TC looked proudly at his chopper.

“This came for you.” She handed the thick envelope to him and took a step forward to look into the front of the chopper. The door was open invitingly and she had never seen the front up close in person. It had been dark the two times she had flown in the back of one in the past, other thoughts on her mind at the time than an idle interest in how the vehicles instruments looked. On TV they always seemed so complicated. In the middle of the front panel was taped a photograph. Looking closer it was a picture of four men, the three she had briefly seen all those weeks ago with Robin Masters and Thomas. Full desert combat gear and grinning broadly as he often did. She didn't really think the goatee suited him. But she'd always thought that experimental facial hair could be a bit of fun. They could always just shave if they didn't like it.

Juliet turned back to the tall man behind her. “You're friends with Thomas?”

TC was puzzled a moment before looking over her shoulder to the picture that was now permanently there.

“Thomas? Sure, he was one of my best friends.” He looked sad a moment before puzzled he looked back to her. “How did you know him?”

“What?” Juliet replied back, puzzled at the tone in his voice.

“How did you know Thomas?” He repeated slowly, more seriously.

Juliet shook her head. “He's staying at the guest house.” When TC just looked at her blankly she continued. “You know if you had a falling out, you should talk to him, he seems a bit lonely...”

“What the, …Hell are you talking about lady,” TC asked, blank mood changing to raw anger. Juliet took a step back and away from the man, who had seemed to be quite nice prior to this sudden change in mood. She couldn't help herself from scanning around herself looking for a way to arm and protect herself. This man was at least twice her size... “...Thomas Magnum is dead.”

That made her look up into his eyes, realizing that he was being serious. She shook her head. “I talked with him yesterday.” She protested.

TC took a step forward raw anger turning to worried anger. “Thomas is dead. I watched him die. I helped carry him out of the hellhole we were in.” He threw the rag onto the front seat of the chopper and turned back to her. “I don't know who you were talking with yesterday. But that aint Thomas Magnum.”

“But, I've spoken with that man,” She pointed to the photograph, “he's been staying at the Guest House...” her voice wavered. _'Damn it, I should have done a background check'_ she thought. “But he looks _exactly_ like the guy in that photo.” She turned back to the photo, the smile was exactly the same, the eyes, the hair. The stature. She shook her head. The goatee was gone in favor of an overall '5 o'clock shadow', but it was him.

“Whoever you've seen isn't Thomas Magnum, Juliet. My friend is dead.” TC said it with such finality that Juliet looked around herself, eyes settling on a small table and chairs to the side. She walked over and sat down.

“If he's not Thomas, who is he? Who is the man living next door to me?” She said dazed. Who was the man she'd been talking to that she thought was her new friend?'

TC gave her a bottle of cold water that he brought out from a trailer that was near the chopper. His phone in hand.

“I've called the guys.” He said sitting down next to her.

Juliet was eager to head back to Robin's Nest as soon as possible, but as TC rightly argued whoever was impersonating his friend and living freely in a millionaires estate might not take kindly to being found out. TC told her about the 'real' Thomas Magnum, his friend the hero, who had saved him and “the guys'” lives many, many times over. Who was brave and funny and 'the best ever'. Who had, along with the others been captured and held by Taliban. Tortured, isolated and finally after almost 18 months of imprisonment shot in the gut by a terrorist no older that 17. Thomas had been trying to talk the kid down from killing them.

TC told her how Sebastian Nuzo had tried cauterizing Thomas' wound with gun powder as it wouldn't stop bleeding. Of the days after when the fever and sepsis had been their final impetus to try escape again or face certain death for them all. The unlikely chain of events that led them to walking away from their prison, taking turns supporting then carrying their friend for days whilst he rotted away from the inside and begged them not to bury him 'under the stones'.

“I don't understand.” Juliet said, shocked and tearful at the tale. “What stones?”

TC looked away from the runway to her, making eye contact. “Thomas always said if he died he didn't want to get lost in a field of crosses or granite tombstones. He was always adamant that he be cremated and his ashes placed “somewhere beautiful”.” TC sighed and leaned back in the chair. “He told me that when he was a kid after his dad died, going to the cemetery was a bad experience and he always felt 'lost' among the graves...” Juliet watched as TC's hands formed fists. “When I find out who has been... who's been impersonating my friend I'll...” His sentence was interrupted by a silver car squealing to a standstill in front of them.

Juliet was properly introduced to Orville 'Rick' Wright and Sebastian Nuzo, the men she had only had glimpses of prior. The two men echoed TC's story of what happened to the 'real' Thomas Magnum and Juliet's worry grew. Who was the man living next door to her that she had become to believe to be a friend? Why did he look like the man in TC's photos? What was he doing at Robin's Nest?

Rick opened the trunk of his car and pulled out several large guns. Juliet hadn't seen that amount of hardware since her training days, since then her work was more about discretion than firepower. “I'm sure that won't be necessary, he seems like a nice guy...”

“This man is pretending to be my best friend, Ms Higgins,” The tall balding man, Sebastian, said, “he's _not_ a 'nice guy'.” He made the motions to check the weapon Rick handed him.

They organized that Juliet travel in the Range Rover the three in a van also newly emblazoned with the 'Island Hoppers' name, the coloring the same as the chopper. As Juliet drove towards the estate she couldn't help looking towards the passenger seat where 'Thomas' had sat many times, arguing about the music she chose on the radio station, but always too polite to change the channel. _“Who is he, really?'_ she thought as she drove.


	7. Don't Say She's Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you hearing voices, Juliet?” Sebastian asked her gently. She looked to him and shook her head.  
> “No, just, ...him.” She said pointing at the man sitting in the chair in front of her.

They entered the unlocked front door of the guest house Sebastian, scouting in front and Rick, gun pointing up, to the rear.

“It doesn't look like anyone is living here.” TC said looking over the tidy room. Juliet scanned the room. It was clean as always. She had liked that about 'Thomas', but now that she thought about it further that cleanliness should have alerted her to something not being right. She looked to the statuette on the side table, 'Thomas' would sometimes rest a cap on the statues head, just to bug her. Today it was capless.

“The fridge is empty.” TC added.

Sebastian opened and closed several kitchen cupboards. “No food...” He turned to face Juliet, “when was the last time you saw him?”

“Yesterday evening, he was walking back from the beach.” Rick nodded at her and then took the stairs two at a time to the upper floor, a few moments later returning shaking his head in a 'negative'.

“The upstairs is clear.” He relaxed his stance with the gun and walked over to the other two in the kitchen. “Fingerprints, perhaps?” He added to the conversation.

“I dunno, man. This place looks _clean_.” TC said.

Juliet turned from them to the main focus of view from the lounge room, the water. She saw the man she thought was Thomas walking up towards her. She couldn't help returning the smile he gave when he saw she was there.

“Hey, guys. He's here.” She said alerting the men in the kitchen and also 'Thomas' to the men. He stared at them a moment before turning back to her. His open, warm expression turned forlorn. ' _Well he should be sad_ ,' she thought, ' _he shouldn't be impersonating a dead soldier._ '

Thomas looked at Juliet sadly and said “I'm so sorry, Juliet.”

“Well you should be...” she started to say.

“Who are you talking to?” TC asked her.

Juliet scoffed and looked from TC back to Thomas, he was now standing hands in pockets. “Thomas, or whoever he is.” She said casually pointing in the mans direction.

Sebastian moved away from the kitchen and stood next to her looking out onto the lawns. He shook his head. “Where?” he asked, clipped voice.

Juliet frowned looking from Sebastian to less than three meters away where Thomas stood. “Just there.” She said again indicating the place. She turned back to Sebastian who was looking at her with the oddest look on his face.

“What is he wearing?” He asked surprisingly. She gazed back to Thomas and scanned over him.

“Um,” she said, “is this a joke?”

“Bear with me.”

Juliet looked back to Thomas who was looking over at the two in the kitchen. “Ah, blue cap. I dunno, some sports team, maybe. Dark blue Hawaiian shirt with a large white flower pattern, tan shorts, …um no shoes.” She saw 'Thomas' curl his bare toes before looking back up to see Sebastian staring at her.

“Is she cracked?” Juliet heard from Rick the same time TC asked, “What is this?” She looked back to Sebastian, who was looking at her with narrowed eyes.

“There is nobody there.” He said pointing in the direction she had indicated.

“Seriously is this a joke?” She asked them. “He's right there.” She pointed to Thomas again before taking several steps forward and reaching out to place her hand on his bicep. Only instead of feeling the expected solid warm flesh her hand passed through his body. In every way he looked solid and real. But when she cautiously pushed her hand forward to touch him, it passed into him to touch nothing but empty air. “How are you doing this?” She asked the men in general. “Why are you doing this to me?” She tried poking him again. It had to be some trick, but who would go to this trouble and why?

“And now she's paranoid.” Rick said.

“Should we ring 911?” TC asked. “She's obviously crazy.”

That had her riled up, how dare these, ...strangers try and trick her like this? She tried swiping at the man a few more times, each time her hand going through him. She looked back to Sebastian helplessly who was looking at her sadly.

“There is no one there Juliet.”

“But I _see_ him.” She insisted.

“I don't know what you are seeing, but it isn't Thomas Magnum. He died.” Juliet turned back to Thomas who was now standing, holding his hands out to his sides.

“It's true Juliet, I'm sorry.” Thomas said again. She turned back to Sebastian who had put the gun down and was standing with his hands facing up placatingly.

“I think you are unwell at the moment, Juliet. But we can get you help.” Sebastian said.

She looked over to the kitchen. TC was glaring at her, Rick smiling kindly in the way one does when a distant aunt you'd never met had just died and they don't know what to say. She gave one more 'poke' into the image of the person she had thought was her friend. Again there was nothing but air. In a daze she took several steps back and leaned back to sit down. Sebastian quickly moving forward to guide her so she sat down safely on the sofa and not on the arm of the furniture that she had unwittingly aimed for.

'Thomas' walked forward and leaned down on one knee in front of her. “I'm so sorry, I should have told you when I realized. I just wanted everything to be real, you know? You were the only one I could talk to.” Juliet watched him in a daze as he spoke. Once more leaning forward to touch him. Her hand going through his face. She felt nothing but air no matter how solid he appeared. “Hey, ya gotta stop doing that, it's weird...”

“We should ring for an ambulance.” TC said from the kitchen.

“Why? This is neither an Emergency or an Urgency. She's just loopy.”

“Well we gotta do something. How do we know she's safe?” TC looked over towards her. “Hey, Higgins.” That got her attention and she scowled. It was funny when Thomas said that, but from the big guy it was a bit rude. “Are you a risk to yourself or other people?” He asked.

Rick elbowed him in his side. “Ya can't say that. She can't help being sick.”

TC turned to Rick. “Nah man, you're supposed to ask that these days, to find out if people are suicidal. Anyway, we don't know anything about her.”

“You're right.” Rick swiped a hand over his face. “OK, give me all the guns, I'll lock 'em up in the van until we can figure out what to do with the cra...” He realized what he was going to say again and held his hands out to her in a calming gesture, “with the _nice_ lady.” He said finally.

“You were going to say 'crazy', I'm not crazy.” Juliet denied quietly staring at Thomas who had taken the seat across from her and was looking worried. Beside her Sebastian handed his weapon over to Rick and sat down next to her. She saw Rick and TC leave out the front door and she turned back to Thomas who was now gazing at Sebastian forlornly.

It was quiet in the room now. All she could hear was the buzz from the fridge and Sebastian breathing next to her. Her ears felt fuzzy, like she had water in them and couldn't clear them.

“Nuzo was my best friend for years. I wish I could talk with him.” Thomas said.

“Are you hearing voices, Juliet?” Sebastian asked her gently. She looked to him and shook her head.

“No, just, ...him.” She said pointing at the man sitting in the chair in front of her.  “He said, you were his best friend. He wants to talk with you.”

The big man looked angered for a moment. Eyeing her to determine her motivation.

Juliet quietly wondered why they were trying to make her think she was crazy, pretending they couldn't see what she could. What did they have to gain from this? She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Juliet?” Her gaze fell back across to the apparent apparition. “Ask Nuzo if he's alright.” Her eyes narrowed, she looked to Sebastian, who hadn't flinched at the question.

“He wants to know if you're alright?”

Sebastian took a deep breath and closed his eyes a moment. “Not particularly. This strange woman I've only met today, ...says she can speak to my dead friend. I'm not OK at all.”

“I'm not strange...” She started to say when Thomas spoke.

“What about Pauly, is he OK?”

“...now he wants to know about Pauly. Is that the little boy I saw... Oh...” She looked back across to Thomas. That was when she first saw him. She looked to Sebastian who was watching her warily now. “What were you all doing on the beach that day?” At his questioning look she added. “With Robin Masters, you were all dressed up.”

Sebastian stared at her, raw grief in his eyes. “It was when...” Sebastian coughed to clear his throat, his voice getting thick, “it was when we put Magnum's ashes in the water. He wanted to be somewhere beautiful...”

“That's what he said. The first time I saw him, 'It's beautiful here'.” She looked back to Thomas who was watching them sadly. “He looks better now without the beard and all the hair.” Sebastian made a choking noise and stood up, going to the kitchen to grab a glass of tap water only turning back around when the other two returned bringing noise and shouting.

“She said, 'the ghost' is asking about Pauly.” Sebastian stated when the other two came into the room.

TC was looking thunderous. “She's playing us. Don't listen to her.” Any kindness or tolerance that had been in his voice earlier was now gone. He was angry.

“I spoke with Robin,” Rick said, “she used to work for MI6. She probably knows everything about us. She's either playing us or cracked but I'm ringing the cops either way.”

Juliet became furiously angry. _How dare they?_ _They_ were obviously playing _her_. How could they not see him? She had no idea how they had concocted all this. She had no idea why they would, why anyone would? A quick risk assessment had her recognizing that it would be three ex-prisoner of war heroes versus the supposedly crazy disavowed nobody important, ...now. She couldn't win in this situation, no matter what she did.

Her shoulders slumped at the realization. She had really liked it here too.

The anger fizzling away there was no point arguing. At this point it would be a complete waste of energy. She felt tired all of a sudden, drained, fuzzy. It had been a long day and she she hadn't had lunch yet. She gazed over the lawn down to the beach. The lads silently keeping watch over the grounds. She would miss them and this place. “It really _is_ beautiful here.” She said under her breath.

“Juliet?” The voice got louder, “Juliet!” Louder still distracting her from her morose thoughts, “HIGGINS!” She looked up at the apparition, standing over her. “You have to stop them! You can't let them take you away from me.” He seemed desperate now. She felt sorry for him a moment before the more analytical side of her mind remembered that this was all a trick, ... somehow. She looked over to the three men in the kitchen still deciding what to do, ring 911 for police or for an ambulance?

She saw the apparition of the apparently dead Thomas Magnum walk to the kitchen, trying desperately to get their attention, each wave of his hand passing through the men.

Rick took his phone out of his pocket, thumb poised to press the numbers.

Thomas looked at her, “I can't lose you Juliet. You are the _only_ person who sees me.”

Juliet looked over the three men who couldn't see or hear the apparition next to them. She made eye contact briefly with Sebastian who she realized had been watching her then looking to where she was focused when the apparition 'spoke'.

“No.” Thomas shouted. Rick pressed some keys on the phone. And then it was as if the world started to turn in slow motion and Thomas' voice became uncomfortably loud as he screamed. It was so loud she flinched into the sofa and had to hold her hands against her ears.

Sebastian seeing her flinch had time to utter “Wha...?” Before Rick startled, pulled his hand away as his phone went flying out of his grip and towards the floor.

“What happened?” TC asked his friend.

“I dunno, it just flew out of my hand.”

“Oh Wow!” Sebastian said shocked. Being closest to where the phone 'fell' he was the first to reach it. At first he thought the phone had just landed _awkwardly_ then looking closer, _improbably_. But when he bent down to pick it up he realized it had fallen _impossibly_. On an angle perpendicular and half way _through_ the floor. He tentatively reached out to touch it. Then with thumb and forefinger tried to wiggle it. It wouldn't budge. He looked up to Juliet who was just moving her hands away from her ears. “What did you hear, you heard something?” He asked curiously.

“Thomas shouted, he didn't want you to call anyone. It was loud.” She said looking over to the stunned Thomas who was also looking at the phone. Thomas turned to her and shrugged, looking amazed that he had been able to interact with the phone, she had shrugged back and gave a half smile. However they were doing this, projection or hologram it seemed so _real_.

Sebastian, watched her then the blank space where she was focused then the phone again looking stunned. Crouching on his haunches he reached forward for the phone again. It still wouldn't move. “Oh Wow.” He said again. Falling back to sit down feet stretched in front of him.

“What?” Rick asked moving around the kitchen counter, unknowingly through Thomas who took a few steps back to get out of the way. He looked at the phone. He stopped walking and stared when he also saw the impossible angle that the phone was lying. Sticking into _and_ through the wooden flooring. He looked over to Juliet, accusatory look on his face. “How did you do that?” He asked.

Juliet was stunned. “I didn't do it, this is all _your_ trick to make _me_ think I'm crazy.”

“You're not crazy, Juliet.” Thomas said rubbing his hands together, still looking shocked.

“That's not very comforting coming from a Ninja hologram of a pretend ghost.” She replied.

“How the hell, did she do that?” TC asked trying to wedge out the phone that had seemingly melded to the floor. All he managed to do was shatter what was visible of the screen and pull back the part of the protective case that could come away from the phone.

“Tell Rick I'm sorry about his phone.” Thomas said, contritely. He faced her and added. “Maybe now I can touch things I can get a job and pay him back?”

It was impossible not to snort in laughter at that old joke.

“What? What did he say?” Nuzo asked.

“It's a trick, you can't believe this is real?” Rick said angrily. TC scowling at her next to him.

Juliet rolled her eyes. “You guys are unbelievable. You are the ones trying to trick me!”

Near the wall Thomas raised his hands up in the air and groaned loudly before turning to her. “Higgins, you can't be the _only_ person on this whole entire rock who can hear and see me and not tell people what I'm wanting to tell them. It's not fair!”

Juliet chuckled and stood up, straightening her jeans. “Quite frankly I've had enough of you three,” her eyes darted to Thomas, “four,” she amended, “trying to gaslight me like this, to make me think I'm crazy. And this hologram ghosty thingy whining in my ear about not being heard. I give it to you all, you are all very good actors and that was a neat trick with the phone.” She walked over to the phone and gave it a push with her toes. “Neat trick. But I've had enough. If you wanted to run me off this estate, why ever for I don't know. You should have talked _with_ me rather than go to all this trouble. I'm going to get some lunch and pack my bags. I've had enough. If I'm leaving it's going to be on my terms.”

She really didn't want to leave. She had nowhere to go.

She looked over the lot of them. Sebastian sprawled on the floor, TC looking at her as if she were worse than an ambulance chasing lawyer and Rick, looking between her and his hand where the phone had 'seemingly' been flung. _'He had thrown it, though, surely',_ she thought.

“Juliet, please don't leave me.” Thomas whined. The other three didn't give any indication of hearing him.

“Juliet, you have to understand we couldn't just believe you when you said you were talking with our dead friend?” Sebastian said. “I still don't understand what's going on. We need proof. Something that only Thomas would know.”

Juliet rolled her eyes. What was the point of this farce? “Why are you trying to make me believe this, …apparition is a ghost?” She fired back.

“We aren't though. It's not us doing anything! The last two months TC has been spending every waking hour starting up his business. I've been doing the same and reconnecting with Lara and Jake. And Rick well he may have had the time, but his greatest talent is shooting things...”

“Hey, Man, that's not cool!” Rick protested.

“What? It's true.” Sebastian argued back. “Rick wouldn't even _think_ to do something like this. So why, why would _you_ do this to _us_?” He asked.

Juliet scoffed and ran her hands through her hair. They were going around in circles.

“Juliet, please don't go.” Thomas begged again. It only made her scowl more.

“You, shut up.” She said pointing at the apparition.

“See, she's crazy.” TC protested.

“I'm not crazy! You are making me crazy!” She screamed looking up to the ceiling. This paradise had become a nightmare!

“Tell us something only Thomas would know.” Sebastian urged.

“What would be the point of that, _you've_ set up this elaborate farce!” She answered.

“Please,” He said again. “there must be some way?”

“What's the point of this?” Juliet said. “Why do this?” She looked over to the apparition. She felt sad for so many things. Sad that these strangers had colluded to torment her, sad that she would leave this place because of them. Sad that she thought she had a friend...

“We were friends for nearly ten years. We know everything about each other.” Thomas said sadly. Juliet sighed. “Tell them that.”

“What would be the point, you're all in this together?” She asked.

“Tell them.” He urged again.

Juliet rolled her eyes. “Is this the whole idea? To make it look like I'm talking to the “dead”? To completely discredit me?”

“Tell them.” He was begging now.

Juliet crossed her arms in front of her. “This is utterly ridiculous and moronic. He said to tell you that you were friends for ten years and know everything about each other.” She turned back to 'the ghost', “Well, anything else from 'beyond the grave?'” TC scoffed and she scowled back at him.

“Well technically this place isn't ' _beyond_ ' my grave so much as actually _being_ my grave.” Thomas said and Juliet couldn't help the half smile. Before scowling again remembering that the person she thought was her friend, who was funny and easy to chat with all this time now, was actually some constructed trick designed to chase her away.

“Seriously,” She again addressed the three men, “why are you all going to so much trouble to run me off the estate? Do you think I have designs on Mr Masters or something?” A shiver ran down her spine, a scam like this would take a lot of time and money to organize, who hated her enough to do this?

“Juliet, focus.” She glared at 'the ghost again. “They are good guys. Seriously good, the best. I would have done anything for them. They bled, I bled. Actually tell them that.” He said eagerly.

Sebastian seeing her focus turn back to the empty space again asked, “What did he say?”

“Nuzo, stop encouraging her, she's clearly insane.” TC said.

“He said you were good guys and that he would do anything for you, that if you bled he did too. But seriously, I don't think you are good or nice at all. That's me, Juliet, saying that last bit.”

“There has to be something to make us believe.” Sebastian looked to the other guys.

“What would be the point?” TC said. “She was MI6, she could have access to all our records, whose to say she wouldn't have access to even our redacted files? Who knows what the spooks can hack these days? I've had enough, I'm going home, I have better things to do than talk with crazy.”

“I'm with you.” Rick added angrily.

“Please don't go.” Thomas begged them but they couldn't hear. He turned to Juliet. “Please don't let them go, Juliet.” He begged her. Juliet shrugged waiting to see how this all played out.

“I know, tell Rick... Tell Rick.” Thomas walked towards her.

“Tell Rick what?” She answered frustrated.

Rick didn't stop in his effort to leave reaching down and trying once more and failing to pick up his phone.

“Eight years ago in Nevada, when he was on leave he met a lady called Cheryl...”

Juliet rolled her eyes. “Eight years ago, you met a lady in Nevada called Cheryl.”

“This is ridiculous and I don't have to hear this.” Rick turned towards the door.

“She broke his heart, and stole Three Hundred and Twenty dollars and Thirty Five cents.”

“She stole some money from you and broke your heart...”

“No, you HAVE to say 'Three Hundred and Twenty dollars and Thirty Five cents' that's the important part.”

“OK, Ghosty McGhostface, whatever, she stole, um, ...Three Hundred and Twenty dollars and...” Thomas repeated the amount, “...Thirty Five cents.”

Rick, stunned, turned back around to face her.

“Rick kept going on about the thirty five cents for weeks afterwards.”

“Apparently you kept talking about the 'Thirty Five cents' for weeks afterwards.”

“How could you possibly know about that?” He asked pointing a finger at her. “Besides, her name wasn't Cheryl.”

Juliet turned back to 'the ghost' who smiled fondly at his friend.

“No, it was Carol, I needed to know if he remembered the story.” Thomas looked her in the eye. “He was really cut up about it, really thought he loved her. He kept focusing on the thirty five cents because literally and figuratively she took everything from him. _And_ she gave him the clap,” His eyes widened comically, “…but _don't_ remind him of that.” His eyes were begging.

She turned back to Rick. “Her name was Carol...” Juliet turned back to 'the ghost.

“Still though, better to get the clap than what Hannah did to me, to us...” It was the last thing he said before the glass that Nuzo had been drinking from and had placed onto the coffee table shattered. When she turned back from the carnage of glass pieces to where the apparition had been standing, there was nothing there.

“How did you do that?” TC accused, looking at the shattered glass.

“I didn't do anything, I'm standing over here.” Juliet accused back. “This is all _your_ drama.”

“Did...” Sebastian looked ashen, “did Thomas do that?”

“Off course not,” Juliet said incredulously, “ _you_ did, somehow. For the drama, I suppose.” She scoffed again. “It was all very dramatic,” Juliet raised her eye brows dramatically, “all very _spooky_. Thomas saying Carol gave Rick the clap after breaking his heart but that it was better than what some one called Hannah did to him. All very dramatic. Then the glass, ... _real_ spooky. Kudos, five stars, 'clap, clap, clap'” she said clapping her hands and looking at Rick, “very well acted. I'm leaving.”

It was easier to walk out the open breezeway, across to small amount of lawn between the buildings and to the open area of the study in the main house than to walk past the three men and go from front door to front door between the houses.

She really wished she had a door to slam though.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, five stars, 'clap, clap, clap' ???


	8. She Already Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “All I see are two dogs sitting down.” Sebastian turned back to face her.  
> “Yeah and 'Ghosty McGhostface' is sitting between them.”

The dogs were running around 'the ghost' that was sitting down on the lawn knees bent, looking out to the water. Juliet shook her head, her ears still felt fuzzy. How they managed to carry out this awful 'trick' she had no idea. She was still tempted to shout at him to 'stop sulking' but none of this was real. She had been played, somehow.

Somehow this madness made sense, she just couldn't figure out the 'how' or 'why'?

Lunch first though. She looked back out to the lawn, the dogs now sitting either side of the man, all three were watching the water. The dogs saw him, reacted to him, they always had...

She set up the coffee machine and opened the fridge to look at her options when she heard the bickering of the three men getting louder as they followed her into the main house.

“What now?” She shouted slamming the fridge door closed.

“Sorry.” Sebastian said.

“Don't say sorry Nuzo, we gotta figure out how she knew that stuff.” Rick said.

“She's a spy, she hacked your medical records.” TC added.

Juliet rolled her eyes, this is ridiculous. The coffee was ready and she grabbed a cup black and strong, forgoing the usual almond milk.

“Where is he now?” Sebastian asked.

“You are all being ridiculous.” She said blowing across the lip of the cup to even the temperature. “Even the dogs see him out there.” She tilted her head indicating outside.

“All I see are two dogs sitting down.” Sebastian turned back to face her.

“Yeah and 'Ghosty McGhostface' is sitting between them.” She took a few steps towards the outside patio and whistled loudly. It was funny to see the apparition stand up and the dogs start running circles around it. “Now he's standing up and looking our way.”

Sebastian waved.

“He waved back.”

“This is utter crap!” TC moaned again and Juliet agreed, nodding.

“But how did she know that stuff?” Rick said. He squared his shoulders and walked out past the patio and down the lawn to the dogs.

“What is that fool-boy doing now? He can't be believing this?” TC said shaking his head and sitting down on the lounge chair so that he could turn and see both Rick and Juliet. Sebastian shrugged.

Near the dogs, Rick stopped and turned back to the house and pointed to the ground next to him. Juliet wanting to know how far they would take this farce, waved her hand to indicate 'move over'. Then gave a thumbs up when Rick was standing a foot away from Thomas. Juliet put down her coffee and went back to the fridge, taking out two slices of frozen bread from the freezer she placed them in the toaster and grabbed the Marmite from the cupboard. She was drinking coffee and taking a knife out of the drawer with her other hand when she heard Rick walk back up, Thomas silently joining them.

“Juliet, tell Rick...”

“Nope.” She said taking another sip of the coffee before putting down the cup then scraping a small amount of the dark spread onto her toast. It would taste better with butter, but being in the fridge it would irritate her more trying to get that to spread than just eating her toast dry. This bread had been in the freezer so long it was more like a cracker now, anyway.

“Please, this is the only way Rick will believe me...” Thomas pleaded.

“I don't care.”

“Please Juliet.”

“No.”

“Please, just tell Rick 'Pixie...'”

“Stop!” Juliet looked up from spreading the toast and saw all four men staring at her. “Stop pretending that you are going to 'prove' something so that they believe 'you'. You're all in this together.”

“Told you she was paranoid.”

“Theodore, shut up!” Thomas shouted. No one flinched or moved. Or in any way gave any indication of hearing him but her, all the shouting was making her ears ring. It _had_ to be planned. “Please Higgy,” Juliet raised her eyebrows at him, “please Higgins, ...Juliet, please tell Rick, 'Pixie, fiddlesticks, 42 degrees Fahrenheit, please I'm gonna forget what he said...”

“Pixie, Fiddlesticks, 42 degrees Fahrenheit...”

“Oh” Rick said quietly and sat down next to TC.

“Keep going, something about the Spice Girls, um ice cream and The 'A Team'. Tell him, Higgins.”

Juliet rolled her eyes and swallowed what she was chewing, “Spice Girls, ice cream and The 'A' Team.” She went back to eating. Hot coffee helping to push down the dry toast.

“How could you have heard me?” Rick asked quietly. He'd spewed random words that had come to him and was shocked to hear them repeated.

“Oh for, …she's been here for months Orville, she's probably set up some sort of parabolic mike or a microphone in the dogs' collars. Be serious man.” TC, the voice of 'reason' said.

“TC, from my perspective though, its you guys who've set up the projectors for the holograms and organized that neat phone and glass trick. I _know_ I'm sane and I don't know any of you people, or quite frankly after today care to, I have no hat in this game. This is just a job that I could take or leave...” The ringing in her ears was starting to really irritate her, she felt a headache building.

“Please don't go Juliet, you're the only one...”

“Shut up!” Juliet couldn't help the reaction to pick up an apple from the fruit bowl on the island at hurl it at him, even though intellectually she knew it was just a projection. This time she saw it pass through him. Again the dogs were happy thinking it was 'play time'.

“Hey, what's going on? Ms H. Do you want me to call the cops?” Kumu, who had just entered the room, looked around from her stressed-looking friend in the kitchen to the three men who looked like muscled up mobsters in the lounge room.

“Kumu!” Juliet said relieved, “I'm so glad you're here.” _'Good, Kumu will help me'_ , she felt her shoulders relax.

“I let myself in when you didn't hear my knock. Then I heard shouting.” Kumu looked around at the men again and held out her phone, “do we need the cops?” She asked again.

“No, just an ambulance. This lady is nuts.”

Kumu looked to the tall intimidating black man and eyed him up and down. Edging towards her friend, she raised her eyebrows. “Ms H. Is the most sane, even tempered person I've ever met.”

“She says she see's ghosts.”

“No I don't.”

“She says she can talk to our friend Thomas.” TC continued.

“Thomas, the man staying in the guest house?” Kumu clarified.

“You've seen him?” The imposing balding man who looked like a TV mobster asked.

“Well, no,” Kumu looked over to Juliet, “But Ms H. has spoken of him often. Seems like a nice man, keeps to himself, I've never seen him though.”

“Because he's dead.”

“TC stop it. There is no way she could know what I said outside.” Rick protested.

“And again I'll remind you that she's a spy...”

“Oh for Pete's sake Theodore. I don't do that any more, I don't go around 'hacking people'. I'm just a Majordomo now.” Juliet said looking to the ceiling and waving the remains of her toast in the air in her exasperation. _'Kumu couldn't see him either?'_ Her head ache made itself known again.

“Major pain in our asses.” TC added. And Thomas laughed.

“Oh you, shut up!” Everyone would have thought she were addressing Theodore if she hadn't bodily turned to face the corner of the room and was shaking her finger at the wall.

“You see, she thinks she is seeing ghosts.” TC argued.

“Is that where the spirit is, Ms H?” Kumu asked before turning in that direction smiling and waving.

“Tell Kumu I said 'Hi'.” Thomas said, Juliet ignored him.

“You can't believe it's true?” TC asked.

“Off course I believe in spirits. I haven't sensed any malice or ill intent in the last couple months, if anything this place has felt a little less lonely lately.” Kumu said earnestly.

Thomas piped up again. “I don't know why, but I can't leave this property on my own, I've walked as far around it as I can. But I can go in the car with you, ...and with Kumu, but she can't see me. I wish she could, because Kumu would believe me. And as long as I'm within about 250 yards of where you or Kumu are I can walk around where ever you are. Last week I followed her when she took the dogs for their shots. The vet talked about her cat. Tell Kumu that, Juliet she will believe me.”

Juliet's eyes narrowed. She had 'seen' Thomas in and around the estate, even in the car, but never out of the car. Whatever complex technology was allowing them to project his image... the costs involved in setting that up at the Vet's... “Kumu, last week you took The Lads to the Vet.”

“For their shots, you were organizing the calendar and the letters for the benefit.”

“Did the vet talk about their cat by chance?”

Kumu looked taken aback a moment. “Yes...”

“OK, now's your chance 'ghosty', what did the Vet say?” Juliet asked the apparition snidely.

“My _name_ is Thomas,” he protested, “and the Vet was talking about their cat Nemo who was grieving over his daughter moving to The Mainland for college.”

Juliet relayed the conversation to Kumu who nodded in amazement. But Juliet wasn't amazed, it only proved that either Kumu was in on the farce too or the conspiracy was bigger than she thought.

“And you can travel with me and Kumu in a vehicle, and as long as you are within 250 yards of us we could walk anywhere on the island and you can be there?”

Thomas shrugged. “I think so, I've tested it as much as I can. When you are standing on the beach or in the pavilion I can swim out much further than if you are in the house.”

“OK,” Juliet patted her pocket, making sure her phone was there and walked around the kitchen island and into the foyer of the building, all eyes watching her. She grabbed her set of keys to the main car she used, the Range Rover, “Come on then.”

The group in the lounge room sensed that she wasn't talking to them. Kumu, Sebastian and Rick followed her out of the house to the driveway.

For the first time Juliet saw Thomas' image meld _through_ the car door to settle in the passenger seat.

The group watched as she ran her hand over the roof interior of the car and over the passenger side dash, left to wonder what she thought she was searching for.

  
  



	9. She Persists

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the end she returned to the now empty estate, ravenously hungry, even more tired and weary than before and no more ready to believe that she actually could see a ghost than in the morning.

Juliet drove, ordering the apparition to not dare to speak. Thomas wisely kept quiet. She drove out for an extended length of time only to park the car and walk around random streets away from the car, always looking to her side to see her companion looking around himself in seeming fascination. Her patience wore increasingly thin as the afternoon wore on.

She walked through crowded shops at one point taking out her phone and pretending to make a phone call as she threatened Thomas' and anyone else involved in this scam's manhood, if he followed her into the restroom.

Thomas was leaning against a wall watching people when she came of of the bathroom.

“Those girls over there are shoplifting.” He said pointing to two teenagers.

Juliet had looked at him, then the girls then gritting her teeth walked to the exit.

Then it was a vacant park and beach inhabited by homeless people. Still the apparition was next to her seemingly unnoticed by the people even if she walked in a way that meant that he deliberately had to walk through people. Thomas complaining time to time, then telling her doing this useless meandering was still better than watching grass grow on the lawns. She got on a random bus and then hailed a random taxi to get back to the car.

All the while Juliet would remind herself that there was no such thing as 'true' random. She'd try to second guess how her supposed random had been orchestrated so that the apparition could continue to walk and at times run besides her seen only by her and, ...dogs. The more she tried to think clearly about it, to figure it our rationally, the more that it felt like her head was stuffed with cotton wool. Like driving up a mountain but being unable to clear her ears. It felt like everything was a bit 'fuzzy'.

In the end she returned to the now empty estate, ravenously hungry, even more tired and weary than before and no more ready to believe that she actually could see a ghost than in the morning.

The worst part was that she knew she was being crazy and yet seemed powerless to stop it. The more she tried to be less bonkers the more insane she had acted. The more she tried to separate how she felt with what she was seeing the more scared she became. What if she _were_ mad?

Before Thomas, she had known that she was sad, was grieving. Had been overcoming the depression over the profound shift in her life plans of 18 months ago. But could that be now manifesting as this, this insanity? _But Thomas seemed so real, told her details that she couldn't possibly have known..._ The only times it made sense was when thinking it _was_ real, he _was_ a ghost.

After demanding that the apparition not follow her into her room she spent an hour searching every wall, nook and cranny of her space and the ensuite before being satisfied there was nothing that could record or play sounds or images in her room. And then a further hour utilizing her so-called 'mad hacker' skills that really just involved a deep dive into four military records. For the first time since arriving on the island she closed the shutters to the water view. _Did ghosts really exist? Why did she alone, see him? How did all those 'random' people in the shops not see him? Why didn't the baby that had looked at them over the back of the bus seat not see him waving? Perhaps they were putting something in her food and she really was going crazy?_ Her last desperate thought to rationalize it all.

As expected, she slept very poorly. By morning she was still doubting almost everything. The only thing she knew that was true, was that if she was able to see a ghost it wasn't Thomas Magnum she wanted to be seeing.

  
  



	10. And Grows When She Let's Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well if I was able to see a ghost, He would be the last person I would want to see...” Juliet said, hand automatically moving up to her necklace. She started to feel the tears that had been held at bay so long fill her eyes. “I don't want to see you.” She said at the apparition.
> 
> “Who do you want to see?” Thomas asked gently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I start to bring in some Hawaiian phrases and traditional ideas the next few chapters. Though I've had the pleasure to visit three times (Oahu, The Big Island and Maui) I'm obvious getting my info from the web. If anyone reading this reads Hawaiian, please tell me if I've made a big boo-boo. (In fact I need assist for another fic :-)

“Why don't you believe I'm real?” Thomas asked her the next day as she methodically climbed up a ladder and ran her hands over the walls looking for any indication how they were able to make the apparition exist. She ignored the voice. She _knew_ she was sane, _wasn't she?_ Even though she was acting crazily, it was rational just to be sure, _wasn't it?_ Ghosts don't exist, _do they? Even if she were crazy, wouldn't it be spy conspiracies, not ghost ones?_

She had started on the main floor guest bedroom, the smallest of the rooms. If she could see 'The Ghost' in here then there needed to be some sort of projection device in here. And it was cheaper and less destructive to do this here than pulling apart the lining of the Range Rover. Closing the door to the guest bathroom and the window blinds was the first step, reducing the chance of outside sources. Still, 'Thomas' was visible leaning against the wall and later sitting against it looking morose.

Next she checked for RF signals, extraneous WiFi signals. She methodically dragged and removed every piece of furniture out into the main room, the queen bed base unscrewed and disassembled. Though by this point she wished to just toss the pieces into the next room, she placed them carefully instead as they weren't hers to damage. She pulled the cover plate off every power plug and every grate off the rarely used HVAC system. Looking up at the light and fan fitting she was struck by the idea that if she'd had more sleep and was thinking more rationally her first step would have been different.

Exiting the main house she walked to the garage building and the plant room at the rear. She stood staring at the breaker box contemplating if they, whoever was doing this, would expect her to alert the security company before carrying on. Regular process was for the security company to send the Police if there was an unexpected complete power loss to the estate and hence total lack of electronic locks to the gates. In the end she made the phone call, then shut down the breakers for all the power to the estate and turned off all the backups for the uninterruptible power supply for the security system.

Finally walking around to the side of the garages she turned off the diesel generator. It was a back up of a backup system born from the same paranoia in the Estates prior owner as the want for a nuclear bunker in case of World War Three.

Juliet sighed. She could still see him. “This estate is effectively 'dead' and I can _still_ see you.”

“Still not as dead as me. And you forgot the fiber coming in for the internet.” He suggested helpfully.

Juliet narrowed her eyes at him. “Why would you help me in trying to stop you?”

“The sooner you realize and or admit I'm really just a simple dead guy and you get over your paranoia the sooner you'll start talking with me again. Besides, even if I can't help you move furniture it's still more interesting than watching coconuts fall off the palm trees.”

“Hmm.” Was all she said neither agreeing or disagreeing. She headed to the fiber box for the internet and ensured the relevant pieces were disconnected, making sure there was no 'back door' connection. Anything the apparition suggested was coming from 'them' and was designed to fool her and needed extra caution after all.

She walked back into the main house. It really did seem 'dead' without the background hum of the appliances.

She returned to the guest room and moved the ladder to under the light and fan combo fixture in the ceiling, picking up her torch she went up half the steps. The sound of tires crunching on the gravel in the driveway alerted her to a visitor. She came back down the ladder and peaking between the closed blinds looked out the window that was facing the front drive way of the main house. She saw Kumu and Sebastian exiting from a large SUV. Juliet flinched at seeing them together. She sighed and went outside, arms folded and posture rigid. Her eyes were gritty from lack of sleep, and she still had that feeling of having persistent ringing in her ears.

“I wish Kumu could see me, at least she would believe me.” The apparition whined next to her.

Sebastian's approach slowed as he saw her scowl to the 'nothing' next to her. “Is he here now?” He looked to the empty space, “Hello Brother.” He said timidly.

“Hey, buddy.” Thomas replied.

Juliet didn't translate the response. Thomas rolled his eyes.

“Is there a problem with the gates? The code and intercom wouldn't work. Then we could just push the gate open, it wasn't locked.” Kumu said.

“I cut the power to The Estate.”

Kumu just raised her eyes and made eye contact with the man next to her. She turned back to Juliet. “After you drove away yesterday, we spoke a little about the circumstances of Thomas' death and how he came to be placed here. Some of the details reminded me of some old stories and well, I did some research.” Kumu indicated the bag that she had tucked under an arm.

Juliet sighed and tilted her head to indicate to come in.

They gathered around the island bench in the kitchen, Juliet thought about leaning against the bench but realized she was weary tired and sat down on one of the stools.

“Sebastian spoke of the ceremony to send Thomas' ashes into the water. That is a very Hawaiian way to have a funeral. And that was when I thought about all the traditional Hawaiian ways to ensure the spirit is at rest. That the body be prepared and undisturbed...”

“We spent almost two days carrying Thomas back, ...after. We were so, ...weak and exhausted, sick, ...starved. It was the most _disturbed_ a body could be. The first day TC and Rick were holding him, Rick tripped and fell, they dropped him...”

“Sounds like 'Weekend at Bernie's'.” Thomas said grinning, unconcerned about hearing about his supposed bodily fate.

Juliet just stared at him, nonplussed.

“What? I love that movie.” Juliet shifted so her chin was resting on her palm and turned towards Kumu.

Kumu added, “We would have a feast.”

“No food for us, even when we got to help, they can't feed you after you've been starved, messes you up, ...it was _the_ most undignified way to have to, ...to deal with a friend, I was so angry, but I couldn't even talk about it. We were determined, we were going to get out together. The idea of leaving him...” Sebastian stared at the table a long moment before continuing. “We were terrified if we made a sound we would alert Taliban or a sympathizer...”

Kumu interrupted, “And in our culture being silent would be the practice before the body is prepared and dressed. To ensure the spirit doesn't become frightened and flee, and after, well now and traditionally we have _uwe-helu_ , a recital of stories of the dead, there can be wailing...”

“Yeah, we couldn't do that until after. The last day, just before we were found by friendlies, I was carrying Thomas and I just, ...I just couldn't anymore. He, ...fell out of my arms.” The large man let out a sob. “I'm so sorry Thomas.” He wiped away tears and continued haltingly. “He fell down, I was holding him in a fire mans carry. He was so light but he fell... I just gave up then I think. Ricky said I fainted. I fell forward onto a rock,” the man pointed to his top front teeth, “knocked out some teeth, I have a bridge now...

“In our traditional culture _manewanewa_ is a form of mourning, self-inflicted knocking out of teeth and injury, nowadays tattoos and scarification.”

“Before we left Germany we all got matching tattoos, we were gonna get 'TM' but the guy at the shop thought we were ridiculous for wanting to be trademarked. So we went with 'TSM4'.”

They had all been transported to the hospital in Germany before their flights back to The States. The medics and staff fattening them up again. At the time they had just wanted to go home and it made them feel at times like 'The Brass' were just making them 'presentable' for the media. Thomas' absence glaring at every stage. The three of them would continue setting out an extra meal for their friend at dinner time as soon as they were eating again. A wasteful effort, but they were drawn to do it, later taking turns who had the urn by their sides. Talking about him and how much he meant to them. Their own _uwe-helu._ Then the closer it came to actually going home the more they all realized they weren't ready. It had been Robin Masters who suggested Hawaii. Rick the only one who was hesitant as he had history there.

Juliet looked to the apparition, who shrugged. “That's me, Thomas Sullivan Magnum the Fourth.”

“You don't really look like how your name sounds.” Juliet scoffed.

“Yeah I do,” Thomas protested, “I'm one third Mexican, one third Irish and one third badass.”

Juliet snorted.

“He didn't, uh, doesn't, does he? 'One third Irish, one third Mexican and one third pain in the ass. Oh and 100% American.” Sebastian said in remembrance.

“That wasn't what he said.” Juliet pointed her thumb at 'the ghost'.

Sebastian leant his head on his hands, rubbing them over the remaining hair that was cut close to his scalp. “Yeah it changed according to the situation, just, ...yeah.” He took a deep breath and coughed to clear the thickening in his throat. He looked her in the eyes, “I would give _anything_ to be able to see and hear my friend right now, Ms Higgins... And I talked with Kumu yesterday and this morning and I know she believes there was this odd confluence of rituals and practices and it's all just random chance that led to this. But I have to ask you, honestly is this for real?”

Juliet looked from Sebastian, who was looking so earnest, to Kumu who was looking down sadly. Staring at the multiple papers and books she had brought for her. No doubt many, many more coincidences written in them. “I'm not crazy, ...I'm not. Well, I don't think I am, ...not really. But I'm seeing this stranger, why would someone, if not _you_ do that to me?”

“Ms H. ...Juliet. My whole life talk of spirits and experiences that can't otherwise be explained has been completely normal. Why are you discounting that you are able to communicate with a spirit?” Kumu asked gently.

“If what I'm seeing is a real ghost, shouldn't you be scared?” Juliet fired back.

“No, because I wasn't taught to be scared of that. If anything lately I've felt a sense of peace about this place. It's, ...comforting.”

_ 'Comforting.' _ Juliet scoffed. “Well if I  _ was _ able to see a ghost,  _ He _ would be the last person I would want to see...” Juliet said, hand automatically moving up to her necklace. She started to feel the tears that had been held at bay so long fill her eyes. “I don't want to see  _ you _ .” She said at the apparition. 

Suddenly all she could hear was perfect silence, the ringing in her ears that had been plaguing her, gone.

“Who _do_ you want to see?” Thomas asked gently.

“Oh shut up and leave me alone!” She screamed and, _'screw them all'_ she thought as she left the room and ran up the stairs, locking her door behind her and leaning back against the closed door. Slowly she eased her way down to sitting on the floor. Hugging her knees and feeling miserable and so, so alone.

  
  



	11. Because It Wasn't About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking at the artwork there, a large picture of a tubular wave, surfer in the middle. The artwork a moment in time, the viewer never knowing if they made the wave or wiping out. The kind of never knowing that really grinds a person down.

“Juliet?” She heard the ghost say. Sounding close, just on the other side of the door. “Are you OK?”

“No.” She said quietly, hugging her knees tighter. It had felt odd before, like a 'click' in her head the moment that she had said out loud that she wanted to see Richard and not Magnum. The 'fuzzy' feeling was gone now. It was quiet in her head again. What ever pressure that had been building was gone.

“I'm sorry. I just, ...I just wanted to tell you I'll try not to bother you anymore.”

She heard the ghost sigh and echoed the sentiment. She stood up and opened the door. He was sitting, back to the wall outside her room. “I'm sorry too, for acting like a teenager.” She sat back down across from him. She moved her foot a bit and watched it 'move' through his lower leg.

“When did you believe me, ...that I was really _dead_?” He asked tentatively.

Juliet took a deep breath and sighed again. It felt quiet and peaceful sitting here in the hallway. The whirlwind of crazy that had been in her head for most of yesterday till just moments ago finally gone. Now she felt clarity. “On the bus yesterday.” At his questioning look she continued. “The kids on the bus and the toddler that was looking over the seat in front of us. They couldn't see you but the guide dog outside the shop earlier did. But I wasn't ready...”

“I like dogs. But, hey, ...kids are cool too. It's weird though...”

“ _Everything_ is weird.”

Thomas nodded. “Why did you tear-up the room this morning though, ...if you believed me yesterday?”

Juliet sighed and after a deep breath, sighed again looking down to the floor. “Most days,” she cleared her throat, “most days I _do_ feel like I'm slowly going crazy, no, not crazy that's not the word, not, ...myself. I'm losing 'me'. Hearing it from your friends though, just made me so, ...so angry. I needed to be doing something.”

“You're not crazy.”

“Says the ghost that no one can see. That reassurance, it's not that comforting.”

Thomas tilted his head to the side. “Why do you feel that way? You don't have to answer, just, ...I can't imagine why you'd feel that way? This place is, ...paradise.”

“Hmm,” she agreed putting her head down on her knees looking to the far end of the hallway at the artwork there, a large picture of a tubular wave, surfer in the middle. The artwork a moment in time, the viewer never knowing if they made the wave or wiping out. The kind of never knowing that really grinds a person down. 

Her hand reached up to her necklace again, feeling the engraved lettering, _'Love, R'._ Lettering just _slightly_ non centered to her perfectionist eye but precious in every way. _'Would Richard still love me now?'_ She thought. So many times that thought attacking her. “My fiancé was murdered last year. He was my best friend. We were going to get married, ...have a family.” Juliet took another deep breath and sighed again. “The longer I'm here, ...the longer... the more bored I become, the more _guilty_ I become because I don't know what really happened and I can't fix that. The more I wonder if he would still love me if I felt like this? Would _I_ feel like this if he _were_ here? Well not here, here, but, ...here? And, ...I can't bear it. The constant guilt, ...and I just miss him. I just really, really miss him.”

Thomas' hand passed through her knee, “I wish I could give you a hug right now.”

Juliet wiped her eyes and ran a hand under her nose. “Me too.”

They sat silently for minutes, the other end of the hallway led out onto the covered upper story balcony, the sound of birds and waves in the distance. From downstairs they could hear the echoed sounds of the cordless drill working. Sebastian and Kumu likely taking it upon themselves to right the guest room.

“Do you think what Kumu said is the reason I'm here?”

Juliet shrugged, “What do you think?”

“I don't know, one minute I was in Afghanistan, the next I'm in a room with you in Hawaii. There wasn't any 'light' in between, well the sun was bright outside... I seemed to have missed the whole harp and welcome speech...”

“Do you think the world is full of dead people, ...just walking around...?”

“Nah, I couldn't see any other ghosts in all the time I've explored what I could of the island.”

“That's good. It would be horrifying if no one could see,” Her eyes flicked up to his, “...sorry for ignoring you yesterday and this morning.”

“Hmm, that's OK. I know I can sometimes get a bit focused and Hannah said...”

Juliet looked up again to see him looking angry. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” He looked her in the eye. “Not yet, anyway.” His face softened and he gave a small smile. “Maybe one day.”

“OK.”

“Ms H?” Kumu shouted up the open stair well.

Juliet gave him a small smile and stood up, dusting the seat of her pants and tugging down her top. With one last rub at her face and brushing her hair back with her fingers she squared her shoulders and walked to the top of the stairs. “Yes, Kumu?”

“Rick is here, is it alright if we turn the electricity back on? I think we can all do with a coffee.”

“I'd love a coffee.” Thomas said brightly. He no longer felt hungry or thirsty and had already discovered he didn't _really_ miss food and drinks. But it didn't stop it from sounding like a good idea.

“I'll be right down, Kumu and I'll go fix it.”

  
  



	12. It was about 'We'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas thought it hilarious that the same word meaning 'caretaker', 'mistress', 'administrator, 'keeper of (the spirits) bones', 'feeder', 'guardian', 'to care for a person or property' – which was totally Juliet Higgins and the absolute definition of 'Majordomo', also meant figuratively 'to seethe with rage'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who reads Hawaiian;  
> e kala mai iaʻu  
> kāholo ka ʻōlelo

Sebastian Nuzo and Kumu used the time Juliet was upstairs to put the guestroom back together. In the guest house Rick found that he was _just_ able to retrieve his sim card from its slot in the phone that had thankfully faced 'up' in the fall. The phone itself a total loss. In the end they decided that sawing the phone flush with the floor, chipping out a little of the inner electronics and using wood putty to fill the gap would fix the 'problem'. No one would ever suspect the supernatural cause for the scar in the flooring to look at it now. 

Weeks passed and Thomas Magnum's continued 'post-life' existence became their new normal. Sebastian and Lara Nuzu were the most welcoming of Juliet. The others needing a bit more time to come to terms with it all. Seb had even requested her help with the security system for his office. His business involving underwater recovery and marine salvage was going gangbusters. Seb moved his family into a larger home in a gated community by the water. Juliet and Thomas would visit with them often. She would be the intermediary between conversations and they took to calling her Thomas' 'translator'. Jake adored Juliet who would teach him 'English' words and phrases like “loo” and “that's pants” much to his amusement. 

By the end of the month, Juliet learned that there wasn't a person on the island that Rick Wright didn't seem to 'know' and TC would continue to keep his distance. TC was disturbed by the theological ramifications of Thomas still existing but slowly, slowly he was coming 'round.

If Thomas wasn't following Kumu or herself around the island she would leave the TV, mostly some sports channel, radio or music playlists 'on' for him to deal with some of the boredom. It helped, a little.

They spent time testing his 'ghostly' abilities. They couldn't replicate the glass shattering no matter what he tried. They confirmed that as long as he was with them they could travel together to other islands. The distance that he was tethered to the women was a bit different. But Kumu downplayed that as nothing of importance, traditional Hawaiian measurements were in relation to the body, and every body was slightly different. Kumu taught them the 'N ā ana o Hawai'i' song for fun. Thomas and Juliet both had a talent for picking up languages and it became a competition among them who could remember the song and meaning first. 

Robin Masters owner of the estate visited to find out what all the fuss about Juliet was about. With demonstrations, was convinced of Thomas' _existence_. Robin thought it 'ironically amusing' that even though, on paper, he owned the land _spiritually_ his presence didn't alter Thomas' movements one bit. He'd sagely remarked that the 'land chose' who it wanted. 

Thomas came up with the hypothesis that now that Robin's Nest was his place of rest and 'post-life' retirement and that Kumu and Juliet were a part of the estate _that_ was why he was attached to _them_.

Kumu had nodded and wondered aloud if it was as simple as Juliet being something called 'kahu'.

Thomas thought it hilarious that the same word meaning 'caretaker', 'mistress', 'administrator, 'keeper of (the spirits) bones', 'feeder', 'guardian', 'to care for a person or property' – which was totally Juliet Higgins and the absolute definition of 'Majordomo', _also_ meant figuratively 'to seethe with rage'. Thomas had pointed at her facetiously on hearing that.

“That is so you, Higgy.” 

“Oh shut up, Magnum.” Juliet said.

“ _And_ it describes a way to cook and is the name of a chain of BBQ restaurants.” Kumu added. She couldn't hear Thomas laughing but she saw the way Juliet narrowed her eyes to the empty space at the other side of the table and grinned widely. Robin had been curious enough and they all had Barbecue for dinner. It was delicious. Thomas agreed the food looked good, but it was the conversations had that was better.

  
  



	13. It's the Story of the Ghost and the Lady!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I guess, …I suppose I had this faint idea that after I left the Navy that I might become a Private Investigator.”

The period of being entertained and occupied by the 'testing' of Thomas' abilities and of gaining trust in Sebastian, TC and Rick had waned over the last week as again boredom set in for them both. 

“We need to figure out what to do with this, Higgy.” Thomas said. “There needs to be a reason to this. A purpose beyond my just not being ready to be _really_ dead.” 

“Hmm, I'm not ready for you to be really dead either.” Juliet felt her heart rate go up in fear at the thought. “You absolutely must tell me if you 'see the light' or whatever. Because if one day I just stop seeing you without an explanation I think I'll go mad with worry.”

Thomas stared at her a moment. “I promise I won't 'go' anywhere without telling you if I could possibly help it. But, ...Higgy, ...seriously you are, ...seriously don't get angry, don't go all 'kahu' but really, you are too young be alone and hanging around with a dead guy.”

Then it was Juliet's turn to point her finger at him. “I absolutely knew it was a mistake to watch that movie with you.” They discovered they both had a fondness for classic old movies and Thomas hadn't seen that one which made it essential viewing the night before.

“What?”

“The Ghost and Mrs Muir! You saw what happened when the ghost pretended to go away and told Mrs Muir 'it was all a dream'. She ended up with a lonely life...”

“They were together in the end...”

“Yeah but think about how many awesome books they could have written together! Could have been company...”

“Sometimes a person needs _more_ than 'company'...” Thomas left the implication unsaid but Juliet's cheeks reddened anyway.

“OK, there is a story there.” He raised his eyebrows until she relented and spoke.

“After the first month I was here I went on a date with a guy I met at one of Robin's charity functions. Robin had asked me to go represent him because he was writing and couldn't fly out, ...what was it he said he was, ...oh yeah, 'suffering from a fit of literary emesis'. I was _lonely_ , but the guy was smarmy and it just felt wrong... Oh, this is mortifying, Thomas.” She looked to the side where he was sitting on the sofa with her, the TV on the wall silenced while they spoke.

“It's OK, I wont tell anyone.” Juliet rolled her eyes. “And I promise I won't go anywhere without telling you, Higgy.” And even though Thomas should know better by now the temptation to 'bump' shoulders with her in solidarity was too overwhelming. He quickly moved back to sitting up straight. “Sorry, I forget sometimes.”

Juliet gave a small grin before nodding her head, “Me too.” She sighed. “What about you? What's it like for ghosts? Do you need, _more_ than company too?” 

Thomas looked at the muted TV a moment, another advertisement for blood pressure medication, before looking down at his hands that he was rubbing against each other. “I, uh, I still feel my skin. There is still a pleasure to be had. But it's different.” He looked up at Juliet who was watching him curiously. “I, mean I loved sex, don't get me wrong, I was, well I loved the intimacy, but love was better, you know? I just, ...I had no idea how much I needed, I crave, ...just simple touch.” Thomas sighed. “I sometimes feel like I'm floating. I can feel gravity, I think. If I couldn't feel gravity and I closed my eyes I sometimes think I would just float away.” He sat up straighter running his hands up and down the material of his trousers. “I sometimes feel that if, ...if only I could feel someone's hand on my arm, or a hug or a slap on the back, I wouldn't feel like I could float away.” They shared eye contact again. “To answer your question, I don't miss having 'more than company', ...yet. But I do miss being real.”

“But you are real. You are the most real... you are real.” She protested. “We just have to figure this out.”

“Yeah.” He stared at the TV a moment longer before looking back to her earnestly. “Higgy, you need to promise me, you won't just be here keeping me company. You need to be meeting people. Being 'really' alive.”

Juliet sighed. She understood what he was saying, but she wasn't ready yet, for more. But she promised to be open to meeting new people, finding new friends.

“What would you do if you were here and you were alive still?” 

Thomas thought for a moment before nodding, playing with the seam on the side of his leg. “Well, I like to imagine that I _would_ be here. That I would have come here with the guys. All my relatives are gone now...” He sighed. He had learned from Nuzo that his Mother had passed while they had been held. He hated Hannah for that the most, the added suffering his Mom had experienced knowing he was being held while she was so sick. Not being there to comfort her. “I dunno, do you think I'd be staying in the guest house, 'abusing Robin's largesse?'” 

“Oh, absolutely and I would totally be on at you often, nagging at you to get a job, ...what would you have done?”

“I guess, …I suppose I had this faint idea that after I left the Navy that I might become a Private Investigator.” He looked over to see she wasn't laughing or smiling slyly at his fanciful idea, rather was nodding. “I had an Uncle who did that and I helped out while I was in high school. It was fun and I figure it's something I could do, the skills sort of translate from what I used to do. What about you? You used to be freakin' James Bond! How do you leave that?”

Juliet scrunched her eyes closed for a moment before looking at her friend with a rueful grin. “It really wasn't like that. It's not like it is in the movies. But I suppose there isn't a job that is the same in real life like it is in the movies. It was a whole lot of waiting followed by a bit of this or that,” Thomas rolled his eyes at her evasion, “followed by a whole lot of paperwork. I liked the job and felt it was a service that I was happy to engage in,” She took a deep breath and sighed, “then I got closer to Richard and it became a job that didn't satisfy as much and I knew, ...we knew that it wasn't, ...compatible with where we saw ourselves heading. Don't get me wrong there are many people who have families, ...but it's different for the women I think. I mean it's easier for the person who doesn't stay behind anyway. We had plans, you know? But it's been so much harder to leave it all behind than I even imagined it would be. I've, ...I have never had this amount of time to be truly idle before, not since I was a young child to be honest. I've just always been the 'have something to do so just do it' kind of person. Have to have a purpose...”

“I think you should try it.” Thomas urged her.

“What?”

“Become a PI.”

Juliet was taken aback, “I don't think _that_ would be compatible with my Visa...”

“What? What does that mean? Not to sound more pathetic than I already have but you can't leave me, Higgy.”

“Relax, I got Two,” She added up the available time left, “ Two and a half years left.”

Thomas' eyes widened in alarm. “Ya gotta fix that, Higgy!”

“There's plenty of time.” Although, to be honest she hadn't given it much thought until now, what _would_ happen to Thomas when she had to leave eventually?

“No, Higgy. Two years will go 'like that',” He snapped his fingers to demonstrate the point. “Two years ago wasn't that long for me. Well actually those last two years dragged on, with the whole torture and starvation thing. But the two years before that,” He clicked his fingers again, “now I'm here, dead! It'll go so quick.”   


“Okay, Okay, I'll look into it.” 

\- - -

Crowded around her laptop they looked up the Hawaiian Board of Private Detectives and Guards website and saw that it would have been a breeze for Thomas to apply in any other 'being actually alive' circumstance. His years in service would definitely have been a way to circumvent the four years training under a licensed Private Detective otherwise needed. They even downloaded a practice copy of the exam and realized quickly that with comparatively little study time they would have breezed through the questions. 

“Yeah, but Higgy you don't need to be licensed, we just gotta find someone who will let us help, you know?”

\- - -

Rick introduced them to a guy he knew, Harry Brown, an Ex Police Detective long time Private Detective and a man looking towards semi-retirement. It was perfect. Juliet just had to get used to not talking with Thomas in public. 

It turned out that wearing headphones or an earpiece and having a mobile phone close at hand and people wouldn't look at her too closely when she was talking to her ghostly companion. 

  
  



	14. How They Found Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry Brown put Juliet's Higgins' success down to her years working for MI6 and her coalition of unpaid assistants who at a phone call would assist with any manor of 'favors' for nothing more than gas money.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pilot retelling. Original words used on the show are not mine.

  
  


Harry Brown put Juliet's Higgins' success down to her years working for MI6 and her coalition of unpaid assistants who at a phone call would assist with any manor of 'favors' for nothing more than gas money. The group of three ex-military men even brought their own guns.

Work now involved regularly skirting the law, mostly HPD's Detective Tanaka who was the grumpiest of police detectives Harry had ever known. Wearing a firm and unyielding expression of 'I know nothing' and a big belief that there was a greater good being served.

From the moment she had stepped through the door “wanting to learn”, Harry's life had taken a 180 degree turn. At first she worked unofficially and off the books as she was already in the employ of the famous Robin Masters, author and honorary Hawaiian. Juliet was infinitely capable and massively overqualified but according to the State of Hawaii was unable to qualify for her own license due to her nationality and Visa status. That didn't phase her in the least. She wasn't interested in titles and job descriptions, she wanted to 'help'. It didn't take long for Robin Masters and his lawyers to solve that visa problem anyway and however they did it she wouldn't say. She was now 'an associate' as she gained experience and for the most part their clients never questioned her lack of board certified qualifications as she provided results.

His Frenchie adored her from the beginning and Harry thought you could always trust people that dogs trusted.

Less and less they were hired to find cheating spouses and to trace 'skips'- those 'skipping parole'. Seemingly overnight he was involved in cases that involved the federal police, international terrorists and missing persons involving the most complicated of plots. It was as if overnight he was thrust into another universe. One that he was eventually happy to, mostly, step away from. For most cases his businesses name was in 'name' only these days. It was as he had wanted the year prior, to edge towards semi-retirement even though this wasn't how he had planned it. She was, mostly, carrying the show now, while he advised. Nowadays Harry worked at his leisure and picked which cases to be involved in at his discretion. He trusted that she would keep his name, as printed on the business cards, in good standing.

At times he was struck with the oddness surrounding the situations they found themselves in. Time and time again he had been witness to things he couldn't explain, how during shared cases they would stay outside a house for a few minutes before she deemed the area 'safe'. The time that she had told him to 'keep driving, go go go' only to have him stop two blocks down the road and call the police to a hostage situation between bitter business rivals. How she could possible have known was beyond him.

How she was able to get phone reception to call for help the day they had been kidnapped, he did not know. They had been held in a bunker in a deep valley and their phones taken by the perpetrator. She explained that she had called prior to being knocked out and him being held at gun point, but she refused to meet his eyes when she told him that. The way he would find her having conversations with herself and he could see that her phone was off or nowhere at all...

The way her and her military buddies would sometimes talk in whispers. Her friend Thomas whom was mentioned almost daily but he never met. It all added to the mystery that was Juliet Higgins.

And yet he couldn't help but trust her, it was difficult not to when he was invited to a group BBQ and he saw how she interacted with her friend's son. How the entire group behaved together, as loved and trusted friends.

He was even invited to a reading of Robin Masters' new book 'Secret State' and grew to understand that the characters were loosely based off the ex-military men in the group.

“Hang on, hang on. You did not just say 'Your chariot's on it's way.'” Rick said making baloney and pineapple sandwiches behind the bar.

“Yeah but I didn't say it, RJ did.” TC argued

“Yeah, except, in the book, RJ is you.” Rick countered.

“Yeah well this book ain't entirely gospel. It's why RJ is 30 pounds lighter with a “Born in Detroit” tattoo across his back. I've never even been to Detroit.” TC said shrugging.

Rick pointed his beer at Harry. “He should trade. I'm being described as “thickheaded”, ya know what that means?”

“But it's not true!” Juliet said, slightly tipsy from the second bottle of beer.

“That means I'm dumb.” Rick said nonplussed.

“Well you did drop out of high school.” Sebastian added.

“Yeah well he didn't have to put that in the book. In fact I said it to Robin, 'If it's all the same to you, just leave me out of it'.”

“No, Rick, you're too important. You have to be in the book.” Kumu protested.

“Thank you Kumu.” Rick said giving her a 'toast' with his beer.

Thomas Magnum was sitting among his friends and he couldn't be happier. He grinned madly looking around the group. Juliet was smiling broadly too, caught up in the fantasy of the newest novel.

“But seriously, it's a bit silly jumping off a weather balloon at the edge of space, isn't it?” Harry had argued.

“I know! Right?” Rick had agreed.

“...Robin, takes liberties, ...but he keeps, ...it believable.” Juliet said haltingly 'translating' Thomas' comment.

Harry was always struck by how odd she would speak sometimes, measuring her words so carefully. “But he had the main character jump from space!” Harry argued.

“Yeah, Space!” Sebastian scoffed.

Harry noted how the guys' attention was focused to the empty space next to Juliet, TC stern faced, Rick smirking and Sebastian rolling his eyes.

“Hey, what are they talking about? I HALO jumped into North Korea to avoid surveillance.” Thomas protested even though only Juliet heard him.

“What's a HALO jump?” Juliet asked. Raising her eyebrows and tilting her head subtly to let the people in the know, _know_. “Thomas did _that_ to avoid surveillance in North Korea.”

TC scowled. “High Altitude, low opening...”

“Ha, see! I told you I did that.” Thomas said loudly.

“Sorry Teddy, what was that last bit? Had a bit of 'tinnitus'.” She joked to inform him why she hadn't caught the explanation.

“High Altitude parachuting.” TC clarified.

“So,” Harry interrupted. “This Thomas is the guy the 'White Knight' character is based on? That's your friend right, Juliet? I'd like to meet him, he sounds like an interesting man.”

“He's the best.” Juliet said grinning and joined the three men and Kumu in raising their bottles in agreement.

“It was a team effort, really.” Thomas protested, “I really wish I had a beer right now.” He whined. And as she would regularly do when she wanted to support her friend she would tilt to the side in a 'shoulder bump' motion. Neither of them may have physically felt the motion. But both saw it as the affection it was meant to mean.


	15. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tell Nuzo I'll kick him in the ass if he ever says he doesn't want to bother us again, Higgy.”
> 
> “Thomas said he'll find a way to kick your arse if you say that again, Seb.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Retell of Pilot.

Later that night after Harry and Kumu had left for their homes, Sebastian caught Juliet's attention. “Hey Juliet, I got this thing, a job I need to talk with you about. Call me in the morning OK?”

Juliet squinted her eyes at the big man and took a few steps forward and gave the man a quick hug before stepping back and looking into his puzzled eyes. She then gave the man a slight punch to his upper arm. “Asking for help is the first step you know, Seb! I'm proud of you, now what do you need?” She said jokingly.

“Yeah well, in the morning...”

“Nah, why leave for the 'morrow, what one can do today?” Juliet said theatrically.

“Seriously, you're a bit tipsy...”

“I'm OK, it was only three beers over a very, very long evening with a lot of takeout and one of Rick's truly bloody awful Polony and Pineapple sandwiches.”

“Hey, I heard that. It was Baloney, Sister!” Rick protested as he tidied up the room. They always gravitated to the guest house for evenings like today. It was Thomas' space and always felt inviting. “Admit it, you liked it.”

“Polony, Baloney, whatever. It would be better with a marinara sauce as a cheese toastie under the grill, or better yet with cheese on a pizza base as a, ...oh this is a shocking idea, ...a pizza!”

Rick looked puzzled at her food descriptions. “ _Under_ the grill'?”

“She means broiled.” Thomas piped up.

Juliet grimaced at the idea of broiling a sandwich. “Eww, disgusting, that's how you make a stew, Magnum.”

Rick held up his hands, when she started talking like this they could only guess what was being said. “You OK Nuzo? What do you need?”

“What's up?” TC asked returning from the bathroom.

“Seb needs our help.” Juliet answered.

TC frowned. “Off course, anything buddy, what's up?”

Sebastian held up his hands, this wasn't going to wait til morning after all, “Well, it's nothing yet but I just have a feeling. I tried going to Greene...”

“Why would you go to your old Commanding Officer when you have us?” Juliet asked thumb pointed over her shoulder at her invisible partner.

“I just didn't want to bother you over nothing more than a feeling...”.

Thomas threw his hands in the air. “Greene! As if he would part with any useful intel. He hates us! Tell Nuzo I'll kick him in the ass if he ever says he doesn't want to bother us again, Higgy.”

“Thomas said he'll find a way to kick your arse if you say that again, Seb.” She translated.   


Sebastian smiled, holding up his hands. “Seriously it's nothing more than a feeling at the moment.”

That feeling resulted in Juliet using her available resources and image identification software to process pictures from Seb's office security system that he remote accessed. They identified two men, ex marines. Neither of them had served a full tour and were recently released from Miramar. Sebastian Nuzo was right to be concerned.

“Dale Gerard and Charlie Resnick, what muppets!” Juliet said, the more she read the more she seethed. “Couple of bloody knob-heads they were caught blagging stuff from villages in Iraq, as if the people didn't have enough to worry about without these two right arseholes being about.” Thomas found it hilarious how she became more British after a few drinks and never seemed to notice. “What the devil do they want with you, Seb?”

“I don't know, but I don't like it. They want something reclaimed from underwater is all I know. They are supposed to come around to the office in the morning.”

“Whatever could be underwater must be worth coming back for after their stint in jail.” Rick argued.

“Yeah, there was always talk in Iraq about theft of museum pieces, ancient artifacts, jewelry and the like.” TC added. “Whatever it is has to be worth their time, money and effort to salvage.”

“Well I'll, ...we'll find out tomorrow I guess.” Sebastian said looking at the photos on the computer.

“Hmm, who knows how many people are involved in this though. It could be more than just these two jarheads. Who knows what they have planned.” Thomas said. “This definitely smells bad. Higgins, Ask Nuzo to have Lara and Jake come over here first thing in the morning. Jake loves the dogs and the security is better here. We need to go in hard on this.”

“Yeah.” Juliet said nodding.

They ended up going in 'hard' and by the end of the next day Gerard and Resnick were in custody and the HPD had Twenty Million dollars worth of stolen gold in its evidence safes.

Two days later, after interviews with the two ex-marines, Detective Tanaka called Sebastian. He informed him of the true depth of Gerard and Resnick's plan. They aimed to 'encourage' him to reclaim the gold that had been discovered Sebastian Nuzo would forever be grateful that he had talked with his friends that night and didn't wait until morning. When the team heard the news all of them shuddered at the idea of what could have been. Gerard and Resnick were after Sebastian's equipment and not the man himself. They all knew what _that_ meant.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore how English words are different in different countries. I learned of 'Polony' about four days ago, where I'm from it's called Devon, or Belgium though I'd know what you are talking about if it's called Fritz. Never Baloney or Bologna (that's only on TV ;-)


	16. And Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word at the HPD was that Higgins was the bane of the new detective, Gordon Katsumoto.

Harry Brown continued to step back from the job and ease further into retirement. Though he would still catch up with Higgins often to discuss cases and to give advice. He could only shake his head at the tale of how the HPD acquired stolen Iraqi gold. And somehow even more amazingly Higgins was able to thwart international terrorists because of a tuna theft! Her cases became more and more weird and Harry's contacts at the HPD were eager to confirm it all and to talk about the bizarreness. Word at the HPD was that Higgins was the bane of the new detective, Gordon Katsumoto. He had just transferred in from The Big Island to take over from Yoshi Tanaka who went on to work at the 5-0.

\- - -

Gordon Katsumoto knew that Juliet Higgins 'an associate of Harry Brown's' story was bogus the minute he met her. Tanaka had also warned him to be weary which put him on edge.

A simple background check had him raising his eyebrows but ultimately as much as he loathed Private Detectives, a person could only complain so long before the impressive results she provided swayed a guys mind.

The first time he had met her was in a hospital hallway on his way to interview the fiancé of a woman involved in a hit and run. The case didn't end up being that simple and credit to her, it was Higgins who ultimately solved an open murder case. She even thanked him for helping stop the murderer harming more people. The next time he met her was after the murder of a very wealthy art collector and friend of hers and Robin Master's. It was the first time Gordon visited Robin's Nest and the idea grew that Juliet Higgins was playing some sort of very long game. She was already employed, with a generous wage according to Gordon's background check. She lived on an impossibly beautiful estate and yet she seemed to spend much of her days working as an unlicensed PI for little to no monetary gain. Her motivations didn't make sense to Gordon.

But he also knew that she had nothing to do with the murder of a man whose death she was genuinely shocked at. Over the next few days it was obvious that she was being framed for art theft. He also learned that she surrounded herself with several ex-military men, one man who had very close links to a well known crime-lord currently incarcerated in the state prison.

Murderers discovered, drug dealers charged, 30 year old cold case murders solved. Dead FBI agents avenged and kidnapping plots solved with the attempted assassination of an attorney general foiled. Modern day slaves were freed, a suitcase nuclear bomb, of all things, disarmed. More murders uncovered, another international assassin this time with a personal tie to Higgins. Even more murders and cold cases were solved and then more murders and then more again, this time Gordon's own good friend. And each time Gordon would try to figure out how she did it, how she could do it all? Why she attracted these cases?

At the end of the day he was so very, very thankful that she was on the side of 'good'. Because if she ever decided to use her skills for any ill-intent, Gordon thought the world would be truly screwed.

“We don't find the cases, Detective Katsumoto, the cases find us.” She would say. Her British accent making her sound as though she were royalty speaking. But there would be a sparkle in her eye and smirk in her smile indicating that she was being deliberately obsequious.

He had witnessed her quirks of talking aloud as if in conversation. Had witnessed the hushed conversations between her and her buddies. Had seen meaningful gazes, narrow eyed stares and referral and deference to a 'Thomas' that he never met. Had seen the photo in TC's chopper and had seen how all conversation would stop or be redirected if he ever asked. And it was _odd_.

Then Juliet and Sebastian had been victims of a “boat-jacking” when collecting a new yacht for Robin Masters. Juliet was shot and from what Noelani, their shared friend said, had almost drowned and required resuscitation! As soon as he had been able to he went to visit her at Robin's nest.

He smiled at seeing Kumu's vesper in front at the gates. She was keying in the code at the imposing entrance and she had waved for him to follow on in when she recognized him being in the vehicle behind. At the front door to the main house, Kumu was readjusting her hair from being disrupted by her helmet and waited for him to join her.

Kumu complemented the flowers and they entered the main house together hearing wild, joyful, raucous laughter coming from inside.

He _saw_ Juliet Higgins and made eye contact. “Wha?!” He uttered. He felt the flowers drop from a lax hand and heard her say 'Oops' as everything started to go dark. The last thing he saw, Rick and TC rushing towards him to break his fall.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, what do you think he saw?  
> ;-)


	17. The Story Repeats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TC was struck with a profound feeling that it was completely unfair that these two friends had never been able to meet while Thomas had been alive.

**Almost a year earlier.**

“Yeah but who would steal a fish?” Rick asked.

“Well it's a fish worth a third of a million dollars?” She had replied to his incredulous look. It turned out the fish that was stolen was stolen again. When found the second time it had a conspicuous hole in it's side. Higgins was reminded of a story she had heard in the past of using produce to pass messages.

TC ends up accompanying her to a restaurant so that she could hack into the reservation system. As was always the case, Thomas was there with her. And as was _also_ always the case when Juliet and Thomas started talking, TC would 'run interference' and shield the one sided conversation from discovery.

“Do you miss food?” She asked and TC knew it wasn't to him she was addressing. She tended to tilt her head to the side when talking with Thomas. TC would nod or shake his head or say a word or two to fill in the gaps for any stranger perhaps listening in. Most of the time because he had known TM so long he could imagine what was said.

“It's odd, Higgy. I don't get hungry and I don't crave food. I don't resent you from enjoying it, if that's what you are really asking. It's nice when you describe it.”

As TC had often seen her do, she made a movement with her elbow, sometimes shoulder or hand. It was only presuming that Thomas was next to her that it would make sense that she was deliberately 'knocking' into the ghost. When asked about it, Higgins had laughed and called it a 'ghost hug'. It was just one of many communication techniques that the two had developed. Another involved Juliet being able to hear whatever Thomas said and her 'tapping' in Morse Code back. A system that worked when they needed to communicate in silence. Thomas being in position to see or hear her and as no one else knew he was there they could talk privately. In their spare time they were learning American Sign Language. Both Thomas and Juliet had discovered that they both had a knack for picking up languages and this was a new fun challenge for them.

They had also discovered that Thomas' interaction with the world was limited to dogs being able to see him and breaking and/or moving things, but only in the height of total and extreme distress. There was also the 'reset' system where Thomas would 'bounce' back to the guest house. It came in handy the time Harry and Juliet had been taken four months prior. Thomas had simply needed to 'run' away from her until he reached the 250-ish yard 'barrier' that forced him to re-materialize at the guest house at Robin's Nest. He had then been able to raise the alarm with Kumu who was thankfully at the estate and understood what the exploding mug meant. Rick, TC and Seb had been able to ping Juliet's phone and had found it in the possession of a man the Harry and the psuedo PI's had been hired to find. Soon after the missing pair were located.

Despite their beginnings, TC now saw her as a 'sister'. For his own sanity he chose to believe she was translating for an invisible friend rather than a ghost. When he thought too much about Thomas being dead and that the afterlife was really real it was way too stressful. It meant that his friend hadn't 'moved on' or perhaps had nowhere to 'move on to' and _that_ would send him down a rabbit hole of theological angst that was just too distressing for him.

As the case progressed TC witnessed Juliet's skills in languages and raw fighting ability. He had seen her proficiency with technology and ability to problem solve and organize. She was really vicious when she needed to be. It reminded him that she really did used to be a highly accomplished agent. He forgot that sometimes as he was now so used to her just being Thomas' friend.

TC remembered fondly how Thomas had a flare for languages as well and used to be the best at fighting smart and dirty.

Juliet was now standing victorious over the terrorist who had crawled out from the wrecked car. When he saw her grinning madly to what looked like nothing next to her, TC felt it in his bones that his brother TM, was grinning just as widely. He was struck with a profound feeling that it was completely unfair that these two friends had never been able to meet while Thomas had been alive.

TC, Rick and Nuzo had vowed that they would each do anything for their sister, whether that meant assisting in cases or protecting her and Thomas from discovery. She was more than just a 'translator' for their invisible friend now, she was family.

  
  



	18. Seen Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Gordon Katsumoto seems like a nice guy.” Thomas had said on the way home.  
> “He doesn't like PI's, Thomas. He was very insistent.”  
> “Yeah but all cops say that. I think it's in the rules or something."

Juliet learned of Hannah during a conversation with Rick and she hated her with every cell of her being. Hannah had his love and trust and she threw it all away. Hurting Juliet's friends terribly with her betrayal. Hannah had caused them to be caught by the Taliban and tortured, Rick's night terrors and a life time of PTSD and ill-health for Seb and Teddy. She had caused Thomas' death. There was no conceivable reason why she had done what she did. She sold them to be tortured for over 18 months. It was inexcusable.

Juliet didn't voice it but on a cellular level she loathed the woman because she had been able to touch Thomas.

What Hannah had done was unforgivable. Just hearing her name made Juliet seethe.

\- - -

At the resolution of their mystery fiancé case Juliet and Thomas were in the red Ferrari. Thomas loved the car even if he only ever was in the passenger seat. “Gordon Katsumoto seems like a nice guy.” Thomas had said on the way home.

“He doesn't like PI's, Thomas. He was very insistent.” 

“Yeah but all cops say that. I think it's in the rules or something.  He's nicer than Tanaka. That guy had a stick...”

“Yeah that guy absolutely loathed me.”

“He's stupid, you're awesome.”

Juliet rolled her eyes, knowing a 'butter-up' when she heard it. “What do you want, Thomas?”

“Oh, maybe a card game with the guys?”

She tilted her head to the side and nodded. It actually sounded like a great idea, she could 'check-out' and just drink wine and enjoy the conversation and all she had to do was play as Thomas instructed with a little suggestion here and there from her. Then when he inevitably lost like he always did, because he was a little stubborn and sometimes didn't listen. She could have her turn playing. Even if no one ever let her play for 'real' thinking Thomas could just look at their cards and tell her what they were.

Although when Thomas played, he stayed sitting next to her. At her turn, truth be told sometimes they did cheat. Actually a lot of times they cheated. Thomas claiming the wine meant she needed all the help she could get. They were a good team though, intuitive. They were each others best friend and had each others backs even if the stakes were only game chips.

“Yeah, let's do that.” Smiling she accelerated the car, much to Thomas' joy.

  
  



	19. It Was Because of Love Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I would do anything to help you, Higgy. To help you to find out what happened to your fiancé. I'm just saying I don't trust him.”

Their lives were no longer boring, their days filled with friendship and purpose. Fun and Laughter. Then Ian Pryce came limping back into Juliet's life.

Juliet and Kumu stabilized the bleeding after removing the bullet and bandaged his leg. Ian had told them why he was really there. She left the study to go to the kitchen, Juliet may not like tea, but Ian sure did. The time taken to boil the water giving her a moment to figure out her next move.

“I don't trust him.” Thomas said flatly, staring at her from the other side of the kitchen island. 

Juliet whirled around. “What do you mean,” She took a deep breath and ran her hands along the cool granite. Lowering her voice she repeated, “what do you mean?”

“I just don't trust him.”

Juliet rolled her eyes. “He's my friend Magnum, he was Richard's mentor and friend.”

“Well we have different definitions of friendship.” At her narrow eyed stare he asked further, “In the last year has he called you, emailed? Sent a letter?” Thomas knew Ian hadn't, she would have told him if he had.

“He has information that could lead to The Viper, Magnum.” Juliet said through gritted teeth.

“I would do _anything_ to help you, Higgy. To help you to find out what happened to your fiancé. I'm just saying I don't trust him.” Juliet deliberately clunked the tea cup down loudly on it's saucer and made the tea. “Find out what he knows and use it, just, Higgy, …just don't trust him.”

Juliet took the cup into the study, Thomas following alongside, nodding to Kumu as they passed as the older woman came out of the study and went on further down the hall to the bathroom.

Juliet frowned slightly when Thomas stood, arms crossed standing to the side of the chair where her old work colleague lay. 

“Oh, lovely, Jools, I could really use a cuppa.” 

“Jools?” Thomas said, eye brow raised. Juliet, in the presence of company, could only ignore him and smile at Ian.

“I'm starving, Jools, any chance of a feed? Feels like I haven't eaten in days.”

Juliet nodded. “Off course. I'll see if I can rustle up some more pain killers as well. There has to be something stronger than Paracetamol here.” 

Behind Ian's back she gave a 'what are you doing?' look when Thomas gave no indication of leaving the study when she did.

Juliet was putting together a salad sandwich, telling Kumu about working with Ian when Thomas stormed back. 

“Higgy! Call the guys, somethings wrong.” 

Juliet rolled her eyes, “What now?” she asked about to argue further only stopping at the raw fear she could see in his eyes. “What?” She asked again more quietly.

“He waited until you left then searched your office space, he found the book with your gun...” 

Juliet wasn't that shocked, Ian had taught her that. She just shrugged.

“He took the bloody gun you have hidden in the fake book behind your desk and has it tucked under the back of his shirt. Then he tried your computer and when he saw it was password protected hobbled back to the chair. You can't trust him.”

Kumu must have seen something in Juliet's reaction and asked. “Ms H? What's happening.”

“Um, nothing, Kumu.” Juliet said distracted, she put down the butter knife that she had been holding and gave her pockets a pat. Coming up empty, “ah where did I leave my phone?” She thought through the last forty minutes and realized she had left it on the floor under the chair in the study. Leaving it there before when she had cleansed her hands with rubbing alcohol and put on the gloves to remove the bullet. 

“He had psycho-face, Higgy! Call someone.” Thomas was looking agitated, wringing his hands. Over the last year of being invisible wandering around Hawaii, Thomas had ample time and opportunity to observe people. He believed you could really tell a person's true self and who was the 'psycho' in the room by how their face changed when they were no longer being watched. For 'normal' people it would be a slide between how they wished the world to see them to how they really felt. Usually it was a neutral face, a non forced slight smile or sometimes a sad, forlorn little frown. Some people, unfortunate for them, really did have 'resting bitch faces'. So many, many people would roll their eyes or look heaven-ward after turning away. Thomas, invisible to them, could see it all. The 'psychos', they were the ones who as soon as they weren't watched their faces returned to neutral, but their eyes _burned_ with scheming ill-intent. 

For a year now they had utilized Thomas' ability to sneak through doors and walls to observe people and places and his observations had never, ever, been wrong before. 

“Here, Ms H, use mine.” Kumu passed over her phone. Kumu hadn't been privy to the full conversation but in this instance it wasn't necessary to know what was said, she could see the growing alarmed look on Juliet's face.

“Thanks Kumu, perhaps it would be safer if you went home.” Juliet suggested while she quickly texted the boys to come to assist and to bring 'Rick's little friends' a code to come armed. Either Thomas was right about Ian, or she needed backup in confronting the person who had information about The Viper. Both options required back-up. Kumu looked worried, but refused to leave and Juliet, looked up to Thomas to share a glance before the phone started pinging with ETA details.

There was a limit to how long Ian Pryce would wait for her to return to the study so she opened a drawer and removed a chef's knife, balancing it's weight before dismissing the weapon as impractical. She couldn't conceal the knife on her body without causing herself harm and couldn't out rightly carry it into the study with her. She scanned the kitchen and dining area dismissing the heavy candlesticks on the table. She focused on the candlesticks again, they gave her an idea.

Smiling, she looked back down at the sandwich and removed the top slice of toast turning it over and placing it next to the now open sandwich. She picked up an avocado from the fruit bowl that she had been waiting to be ready and cut it open, spreading the unripened avocado onto the toast. Smiling up at Thomas she reached for the unnecessarily large, but solid and heavy wooden pepper mill and held it seemingly casually in one hand, plate in the other. 

“We need more guns.” She whispered to Thomas. “The one in the Ferrari is too far away if needed in a hurry.” 

“Don't do this Higgy, wait for the guys.” Thomas warned.

“I can't, I know how he thinks. He taught us, Thomas. I don't know what's going on, Ian wouldn't need a gun here unless he felt...”

“Just don't trust him Higgy.” Thomas warned.

“Kumu, if you are going to stay, go to the guest house and wait until I call for you. I'm going to go find out what the hell is going on.” Kumu nodded and started for the door.

  
  



	20. And of Love Some More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think the Universe hates us. It's the only way I can explain this torture.”

Ian smiled as she came in to the study and grabbed the plate with one hand as Juliet passed it to him. She had a moment to think 'Thomas is _so_ wrong...' but her internal gloating didn't last long when she could see Ian's expression harden. Her stomach sank. He must have observed some micro expression or movement, understood the incongruity of the pepper mill despite it's intended possible utility for a bland sandwich. Some 'tell' that was fully unconscious on her part but glaring to a senior trained spy made professionally paranoid. 

Juliet was stunned to see Ian's free hand slowing reaching behind himself. If Thomas hadn't seen him place a gun there she wouldn't have understood what he was about to do.

In the split second before she was able to strike out at her old mentor with the heavy pepper-mill, Thomas also saw the movement towards the gun and started screaming, 'No!'. She couldn't help the instinctive need to jerk back, squint and try to cover her ears by raising her shoulders. Then Ian was the one screaming as the plate he had been holding shattered, slivers of porcelain embedded in his face. He swung out his hand armed with her gun and fired wildly into the ceiling. It was then that Juliet had her moment to swing the heavy wooden mill once to knock the gun out of his hand and again against his temple. 

She could feel the reverberations of the knock against his skull vibrate up her arm. He was out cold, slumped over onto the floor. She looked around herself to find something to bind the mans arms with. 

“We need more guns. And handcuffs. Thomas! In every bloody room.” She said shakily from the adrenaline. Thomas was standing next to her, she could see his hands in white knuckled fists. She reached out to touch his shoulder forgetting once again that although she could see him as being solid she couldn't touch him. Her hands shook with the need to touch sometimes.

“Juliet!” Kumu came racing in after hearing the sound of the gun fire. “Are you alright?”

“No, not really.” Kumu, seeing her shaking stepped forward, arms open and embraced her friend. _'It was a nice hug, but it wasn't Thomas.'_

Rick and TC arrived and soon after Seb entered the room. Juliet convinced Rick to leave with the weapons as HPD and any number of other 'alphabets', federal and international security agencies, were going to be investigating this. She had said it rolling her eyes but the next day had a second conversation with Gordie and then was interviewed by Interpol. Afterwards, a long phone conversation was had with her old boss from MI6. Thomas argued that things were getting ridiculous and they should call Robin Masters to employ them a good lawyer. 

But soon after that it was all hushed up and the possible international spy scandal was swept away by the 'alphabets'. Ian Pryce had indicated that someone was selling information learned about The Viper and had gone rogue because of it. Juliet was incapable of thinking anything further than somehow Ian was involved. Through it all she never expected what the outcome of the investigations was going to be, Ian _was_ involved but she didn't know _how_ involved. 

She was sitting in the kitchen a week later when she received a phone call from her ex work supervisor in London. Informing her of the preliminary information gained from their investigation. Telling her the truth of Ian Pryce being the assassin. He _was_ The Viper and she finally learned what had really happened to her Richard. 

She sat at the table stunned, staring at her now silent phone. 

Thomas walked in from the guest house via the garden area. He avoided going through walls if there was a choice. He found her pale and shaking. “Higgy?” He asked. “What's wrong?”

Juliet looked at her friend and down at her phone and gave a laughed sob at the instinct to throw her phone at him. Then her face crumbled as the tears fell. Thomas walked over to stand next to her and Juliet moved back to rest against him, when she realized what she was doing and that she would fall if she continued leaning back she jerked straight again. “Just, ...just leave me alone.” She cried and fled upstairs to her room, slamming her door and laying down on the bed, curled up and crying into a pillow. Tears for Richard, more for herself and a great big bucket-worth for Thomas. 

The sobs finally subsided and there was nothing left. Juliet pushed her face into the pillow one last time to soak up her tears before turning it over to the cool side and hugging it against her belly. When she finally opened her eyes she saw Thomas kneeling against the other side of her bed, hands together 'resting' on her bed. He looked like a little boy praying before bed until she looked up into his eyes and saw he had been weeping for her.

“Juliet, I would give anything if I could just touch you right now, to give you a hug and tell you it will be OK.” He said quietly.

She blinked slowly for a few seconds then in a very unladylike manner breathed in deeply to clear her snotty nose then brought her pillow up again to dry her face. “How.” She swallowed past the thick feeling in her throat. “How did you know? You knew when you first met him, didn't you?”

Thomas looked up to the ceiling a moment, measuring his words before looking back at her. “I saw the way you reacted when he mentioned The Viper and could see by the way he was looking at you he was gauging your reaction. He would have been kinder about it if he was genuine. But it seemed that he was deliberately trying to force you into maximum reaction. I can only think so that you wouldn't question the situation?” Thomas watched her a moment longer. “Then when I saw your face after the phone call, ...I uh, I knew for sure.”

Juliet nodded and sniffed again. “You're a good investigator. I should have known too. I was in denial again, wasn't I?” 

Staying on her side she edged closer to the edge of the bed and patted the empty area next to her. Thomas stared a moment before standing up and laying down next to her, first on his back then turning on his side facing her. She turned to toss the damp pillow to the floor next to her and turned back to him, edging closer until they were mere inches apart and adjusted her other pillow under her ear. Thomas with his head propped up on a palm looking down at her. 

He looked _real_ , and at times she thought he smelled like the sea, which was fanciful as she lived on an island. But there was no dipping of the bed because of his weight, no warmth from his skin and no touch to be felt. There was no comfort to be shared through touch. Thomas ran his free hand along the shape of her shoulder, she couldn't feel a thing. Neither could he.

“I think the Universe hates us. It's the only way I can explain this torture.” He whispered turning away from her, moving onto his back and looking at his fingers. “I can feel my own fingers, as much as I ever could but I can't touch you. I know I'm laying down but I can't feel the bed.” 

Juliet edged closer until if he were solid her chin would be next to his shoulder. She closed her eyes and tilted her head down on the pillow and shared space with him. “I love you, Thomas.” She whispered.

“Oh, Higgy.” He said, voice pained. “I love you too.”

\- - -

Juliet was the brave one of the two a week later. They were alone in the evening watching TV when she told him there was no point the two of them being together, but apart. That they may as well be apart, but together. Thomas was still trying to parse what she meant when she stood up from the sofa and started to walk away only to look over her shoulder and bravely say, 'come on.' He followed her upstairs into her bedroom. He would follow her anywhere.

  
  



	21. Things Stay the Same, Changed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yeah well, it's set in Hawaii and the music is good. It's easy to watch and who doesn't like a good murdramedy?”  
> “Huh?”  
> “You know, murder, drama, comedy?”

“Come on, it'll be fun.” Juliet insisted.

Rick groaned. “Ah, man. Wish I could Higgins. But I've got a private event to manage at the club. In the evening we are hosting an after party for one of those Hawaiian TV show premieres, I'll be busy all day. You know, the show Kumu likes about the Hospital where every week there is a new drama and there's the love triangle between the Doctor the Cop and the Pilot from the Health Flight Retrieval team?”

“Oh, Noelani loathes that show, but it's so dumb it's great! It's made here, course we watch it. Sounds like you know a lot about it, Rick?”

“Yeah well, it's set in Hawaii and the music is good. It's easy to watch and who doesn't like a good murdramedy?”

“Huh?” 

“You know, murder, drama, comedy?”

“I don't think it's meant to be a comedy. But you're right it's hilarious. I mean seriously, the Doctor's roommate gets kidnapped, shot by the terrorists and almost loses their leg and in the next episode is wearing shorts and has no scars. It's just so, ...silly! The TV people could have at least remembered to put a band-aid on the actor and have crutches and a limp for a few weeks.” They walked out to the patio where the others had set up the grill, Juliet bringing the refilled bowl of tortilla chips and Rick setting down the platter of sliced fruit. The fixings for the burgers and salads already set out. “Seb, Teddy, Shammy? Kumu? Will you come with us to pick up Robin's new yacht? I've seen pictures she's really pretty.

“When, Higgins?” TC asked.

“Next week on Tuesday.”

“Will we have time for some fishing?”

“Sure, can't see why not, ...an hour or so.”

“Count me in.” TC said grinning.

“Count me out, Ms H. I get terribly sea sick...” Kumu said frowning.

“Me too, Juliet. Sorry, it's either constant gagging or dopey from all the sea-sick pills.” Shammy added.

“Seb?”

“Off course Juliet, I'll be there. We'll be heading out first thing?" At Juliet's nod Seb grinned. "If we can be done by two maybe Lara can come out as well? Jake's school finishes a bit after 2, so if Lara comes we've got to be back by then. I gotta check with her though, you know how she is, she's always busy.” Seb looked up from the grill over to the lawn area where Jake was playing with the dogs. “Jakey, we're nearly ready here.”

Jake looked up and started walking towards them, dogs following.

“That makes me feel better, Higgy. It makes me nervous, anything can go wrong on the water.” Thomas said from his place on a portable hammock that had been been moved over from outside the study to the main patio.

“It's a state of the art boat, all the latest features, I hardly think a quick hop from taking it over to bringing it into it's new home dock at the marina is going to be fraught with danger.” Juliet protested, reaching over the table to grab a piece of carrot to dunk into the onion dip that Lara had prepared as contribution. An apology for having to work and missing out on their family day together.

“Higgy, we don't look for danger but it always seems to find us.” Thomas argued.

“Hmm.” She vocalized noncommittally while chewing.

“Do you know what the yacht is called?” Seb asked while turning over the burgers.

“Um, just a sec.” Juliet reached into her back pocket for her phone and flicked through the messages while picking up a celery stick. “Here we go, _T R Belle_. Wonder what Robin was thinking when he dreamt _that_ up?” She wondered reaching forward for more dip.

“Hey, what was the name of his dog?” Rick asked looking up from reading a newspaper.

“I can't remember, but it aint Belle.” TC said giving Jake's head a pat as he walked past.

“Do you want to sit next to me, Jake?” Juliet asked scooting over on the wide generously sized outside lounge chair. “We can share, yeah?”

“Yeah.” He said reaching for a chip. Juliet wrapped an arm around the boy giving him a squeeze.

“I don't like it.” Seb said basting the chicken drumsticks one last time before moving them and the rest of the cooked food onto a plate. “Hey, what time did the Doc say she was arriving?”

Gordie was held up working and Harry was on The Big Island visiting relatives.

“Noelani is running late, she said for us to start without her but to make sure Rick has a cocktail ready for her. Just not a Mai-Tai she said.” Juliet answered.  


“It's all complaints.” Rick whined.

“Sebastian?” Kumu asked “Why don't you like the name of the yacht? I think it sounds pretty, like 'True Belle'?”

“Hmm,” Sebastian said placing the meat platter on the table. “Sounds like ' _Trouble'_ to me. Robin likes plays on words.”

“Hey, Kumu, Rick's club is hosting the premiere party for that show we like...” Juliet said changing the topic to a lighter one.

“Rescue Flight?” Kumu said excitedly. “I _love_ that show. Oh the cliffhanger last year, ...my heart almost couldn't take it. The helicopter crashing just after Dr Brooke and Makani kissed and The Lieutenant realized his crazy ex wife was still alive and living next door to Mak... It's so good! I mean, well it's bad, but good!”

\- - -

The pick up date was pushed back after Robin wouldn't approve the signage on the boat from the photos. 'I want it to be 'little' on the sides.' He'd insisted during their phone conversation. It had involved a paint touch-up but in the end he was happy. Juliet had rolled her eyes but whatever the boss wanted, the boss got. 

The date being pushed back meant that Rick was able to sneak Kumu, Noelani, Shammy, Juliet and Thomas into the premiere after party. Despite Noelani and Shammy's insistence that they hated the show, it really was cool to be able to meet the actors.

Juliet loved the club. Being able to dance for a little while with Thomas was everything. Their friends around them, guiding away the people who thought she was dancing by herself and wanting company. For an hour they could just be regular, normal people. People who just danced separately.

\- - -

In the end it was only Her, Thomas and Seb heading out when they went to pick up the _T R Belle_.

  
  



	22. And Changed, Stay the Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The yacht may not be as big and grand as some of the super yachts found around the islands, but it was bigger and grander than Robin's last one.

There were dolphins leaping alongside the yacht. Thomas was hanging over the side, if he weren't dead already, Juliet was sure that she would be having conniptions over his behavior. He was so far over he was almost overboard. What if he fell in? He'd end up back at Robin's Nest and she'd miss him the rest of the day!

“Hey, Higgy? Do you think they can see me?” He said waving his arm down towards the dolphins. The yacht may not be as big and grand as some of the super yachts found around the islands, but it was bigger and grander than Robin's last one.  The size of the boat was enough that Thomas' waving down at the dolphins made her roll her eyes at him. Could they even see him, that far up?

“Well dogs see you, so why not?” She said standing at the wheel.

Thomas came back and sat at the seat next to her. “I think they can see me.” He said convinced. “Did you find out what _TR Belle_ meant?”

“Nope.”

“Well she's too pretty to be 'Trouble'. I wonder what the TR stands for.” Thomas said, he sat back in the chair. He was wearing a white linen shirt this time, blue and white shorts and sunglasses. She loved the Hawaiian shirts but this way, he was just so good looking. It always made Juliet wonder how he could 'change clothes'. He said he just 'thought about it', but she wondered how the process worked. Everything about Thomas' existence was a puzzle, but one she was so grateful for. She couldn't even begin to imagine what life would be like if he weren't here with her.

He was looking relaxed and happy and she thought he was looking extra handsome today. He'd lost the experimental mustache that he'd been donning the last few days. Finally admitting he didn't like it either, but her reaction to it was too good not to tease her with by persisting with it. He was now back to a relaxed 'three day stubble' goatee, at least that was what he called it.

“Knowing Robin Masters, it will be something witty and insightful or literary. I really don't understand all the fuss about the size of the sign though.” She answered.

Seb had been drinking a soda and enjoying the sunshine at the rear of the yacht but moved up to stand next to Juliet on hearing the conversation. “Was _that_ the delay?” Seb adjusted his sunglasses. “Cause it's a bit weird to me, looks too small for the size of the boat.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

“Maybe it means, Trust Robin, Belle.” Thomas thought aloud, or “The Real Belle. But then again it could be something really weird like 'Turkey Robot'...”

Juliet's head whipped round to face him. “It does NOT mean Turkey Robot, Thomas!”

Seb chuckled. “Well I reckon it's 'Little Trouble' and eventually he will buy a bigger yacht and that'll be 'Big Trouble'. He's funny like that...”

“Mayday, mayday...” Was heard over the radio.

Seb raised his eyebrows in a 'see?' gesture before reaching out for the radio handset. Thomas moving to be close to Juliet's other side.

Sebastian's joking about the possible name of the yacht gave Thomas an ominous feeling and it was with that overly cautious sense of worry that he focused on the man that stepped foot onto the boat.

When the man drew the gun, Thomas' shouting of 'no' had it flinging from his hand and to the deck of the yacht. Juliet saw her moment to knock the man out but another man exited their grime-riddled boat and held out a gun and fired before Thomas even fully saw him. Juliet had been hit and the force of it had her twisting over the side of the yacht and into the dark water below. Sebastian who had been tying the two vessels together dived in to help her. The hijackers found their guns and starting firing into the water.

Sebastian, one arm around Juliet swam away from the boats, dragging them as far away as possible. Sending up a quick prayer of thanks that the men had taken the boats and left rather than circling back and shooting them.

“Seb, they are getting away.” She said paddling in the water, terrified. Her voice was shaky. Intellectually she knew she would be feeling the pain of the bullet wound soon, but it was numb currently.

Seb looked at her and grimaced then looked back at the departing boats.

“Juliet! Higgy?” Thomas said powerless to assist. He couldn't reach the boats that were now moving away from them. They were in shark infested waters and Juliet was bleeding, miles away from land. Kumu was at the Cultural Center all day even if he _did_ reset to the guest house there would be no one to warn until Nuzo and Higgins had been missing for many, many hours. It was best to stick close at this stage.

Juliet blinked heavily. The raw fear in Thomas' eyes made her breath catch and heart jolt. “Thomas, I'm here.” Was all she could say to reassure, shock from the events making her sluggish. She was losing blood, but there hadn't been enough time for it to be shock for blood loss, yet. She stretched her right arm out towards him but all she felt was water. “What?” She asked as Seb moved her in the water so he could see her arm.

“It's still in there, probably wedged in your bone. It's not spurting like it's hit an artery, but it's hard to tell in the water.” Seb said taking off his shirt and tearing it to get a strip to bind her arm.

“We passed an atoll before we got the mayday, we can...” Thomas said

“That's hardly a plan.” She said shaking her head.

“Ships pass there _all_ the time.” He insisted. “You'll wave at them, they'll rescue you... It'll be a piece of cake.”

“Piece of cake?” She asked incredulously.

Seb's eyebrows raised. He was used to hearing half conversations and non-sequiturs from her but what ever was being said, there was no cake to be had here. “What's he suggesting?”

“We head to the atoll we passed before the Mayday.” Juliet grimaced, the pain was starting to ramp up, radiating up and down her arm and into her shoulder.

“But,” Seb mentally added up the distance. “Alright, it'll be about 5 miles...”

“It will work.” Thomas insisted.

“Yeah, but the swells. It's on the other side of the Molokai channel!” Juliet protested. She hated swimming in deep open water, she was terrible at it, the only way she had been able to psych herself up about the Triathlon was that the swim section was only a bit over 2 miles and with so many other people in the water the sharks would surely be scared away. The idea of 5 miles with a bullet in her arm was truly terrifying.

“I was a Navy Seal, so was Nuzo, we are in our element here.” Thomas said trying to be a lot more convincing than he felt.

“If we get caught up in the current we will be dragged out into open ocean.” She protested.

“I saw it on the news, people do the swim race every year...” Thomas tried and Juliet rolled her eyes.

“You are, ...unbelievable.”

“Me?” Thomas scoffed. “We are in the middle of the ocean and you are picking a fight...

“Sorry, I love you, but you drive me crazy.”

“I, uh... Only a little bit.” He protested.

“Thomas, you have to know they call this the 'Channel of Bones' for a reason.

“Well, not ours, Juliet.” Seb interrupted. “Come on, it's a good plan.”

“It's a stupid plan...” This area had sharks, her arm was injured she was bleeding, she was a terrible swimmer.

“Higgy. You are kahu, remember. You're the _keeper_ of the bones, you can do this.” Juliet narrowed her eyes at him, he was being ridiculous now.

With Seb and Thomas' urging, Juliet turned in the direction Seb determined to be correct and swam as well as she could. Seb in front and Thomas behind. She looked back to Thomas and she saw it, the fin. In her shock she stilled in the water, crying out.

“Juliet, what?” Seb said looking back at her then past her to see what she was seeing too.

“What?” Thomas said, “Oh.” He 'swam' towards it, he started smiling in relief as he got closer. “It's OK, Higgy.” He shouted back just as a dolphin leapt out of the water, a moment later another joined it's friend. “I knew they could see me.” He said as they swam next to him.

“Oh.” Juliet said faltering. She was exhausted. “Will they bring the sharks or keep them away?” She asked Seb who eyed her wearily.

“You need a break. Give me your pants.” She took a moment to parse the comment. It was testament to how exhausted she was that she didn't question him and slipped them off. Tying the leg section closed Seb was able to inflate the pant area with air, temporarily giving her a flotation device to make her more buoyant and to rest against. She rested her head back and closed her eyes for a moment. She hated swimming.

“I'm not, ...I'm not doing the triathlon anymore. After this is over I'm never going to swim again if I can't touch the ground with my feet.” She insisted, eyes closed. Seb chuckled.

“Your form is terrible.” Thomas said, the dolphins were happy with swimming next to him but as he came closer to the others they kept a weary distance, near but not close.

Seb looked at the dolphins wishing life were like the movies and they could reach out and the dolphins would let them hang on... He turned to Juliet who was looking pale and sent a quick prayer to whoever was listening. “Juliet, that's a good idea, your form is terrible, your strokes...”

“Thas,” She coughed, “that's what Thomas just said.” Seb chuckled. She moved the air filled pants away from her neck and started in the direction they were moving in again. Eventually the dolphins moved away and the atoll was visible in the distance.

“Look, Juliet. We are so close.” Seb said pointing at the land turning to look over his shoulder just in time to see Juliet's eyes roll back, her head tilt back and then saw her descend into the water. He swam back as quickly as he could. Unable to hear Thomas screaming but being witness to the water suddenly churning around them. He grabbed Juliet in a body hug and as he lifted them up with strong kicks it felt almost as if the water was pushing them up too. He swam the final yards to the atoll and dragged Juliet up and out of the water to lay her down on a flat sandy area.

“Higgy, no, don't go... Seb, you have to help her.” Thomas begged as he watched his friend move in to give rescue breaths.


	23. A Soul Deep Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet's heart ached with the joy of it, then her heart just ached and she moved back and brought a hand up to her chest to rub at the pain. The pain felt like her soul was being torn in two.

“Thomas?” He heard spoken lightly behind him. He turned to see Juliet standing behind him. He turned back, her body still on the ground and back again to where she was standing and fell to his knees at the shock.

Juliet, still disoriented, saw Thomas looking so forlorn she couldn't help the instinctive need to reach out and cup the side of his face. All this time, even though she knew they couldn't touch, she couldn't help herself for trying. Her hand flicking back at the unexpected feel of his warm skin and stubble.   


“Oh,” She said falling to her knees and reaching forward embraced him desperately. It was as if each sensory cell in her body was 'zinging' with the sense of touch, arms wrapped around him, feeling friction against the wet material of his shirt. The warmth of his body radiating through. Her face tilted to the side, glorious rasping of stubble against her face and neck. She tucked in close to his neck, warm and smelling of the sea. “Thomas.” She whispered against his skin and for the first time in forever let her shoulders drop as all stress and worry evaporated and relaxation engulfed her and she became boneless in his arms.

“Juliet?” He said over her shoulder and she moved back to look at him. Thomas brought his hands up so he was cupping her face. She thought she could feel his fingerprints she was so sensitive to his touch. She turned her head to the side kissing his palm, her eyes closing as she felt his touch and opened her eyes to see he was watching her. A wondrous look on his face as he looked at her, fingers now lightly tracing over the skin of her cheek, her ear, her lips. She saw his focus move to her lips and she smiled, then grinned, as he did too and as one they moved together to kiss. 

They shared a moment of perfect joy, perfect glorious touch. It was everything that each had desired for the longest time. A simple kiss that had been denied them so long. Juliet's heart ached with the joy of it, then her heart just ached and she moved back and brought a hand up to her chest to rub at the pain. 

Thomas turned to look behind them. Juliet looked to where Sebastian Nuzo was frantically performing chest compressions on her body. “No...” She whispered. The pain felt like her soul was being torn in two.

“Juliet?” Her focus shifted back to Thomas who was looking resigned. “You need to go back...”

“No, I don't want...” She protested, shaking her head. “I want to stay, … with you.” _It wasn't enough_ , she held him tighter.

“I need you to live, Juliet. I need you to live for me.” It was both the easiest and hardest thing he had ever said. She _had_ to live, but oh how _good_ it felt to hold her.

He pulled her into a tight embrace, crying now he pushed her away only to pull her back into a desperate last kiss... only the lips she felt weren't Thomas'. She pushed away from Sebastian and a wave of water came out of her as she coughed and vomited the sea away. Her eyes darted to see Thomas staring at her looking resolute and sure despite their turmoil. She pushed away Sebastian's hands as she drew her legs up to sit, breathing in large gulps of air that her body craved and she wept.

Sebastian could feel something profound had happened. He tried touching her to reassure her, but she moved away from his hand, turning her body away from him. Her weeping turning to quiet sobs and then silence as she sat watching the sea, shivering. Sebastian watched her mourn and turned around. He couldn't see Thomas, but today he thought he could _feel_ his presence clearly. “I'm sorry, Brother.” He said to the wind.

“Me too.” Thomas said, even though he knew Nuzo wouldn't hear. “Me too. But this is the way it's meant to be.”

“No, it's not.” Seb heard Juliet say quietly. Again not privy to the whole conversation Seb moved toward his friend and sat down next to her.

“You're freezing.” Seb wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a half hug. He had to lean forward to hear her whisper.

“He was so _warm_ , Seb.” She pressed her face into Seb's chest. She didn't feel comforted. 

“I'll find you something to eat, but first we need a fire to get you warm.” Juliet nodded. Wood was collected and they started a fire. It was a very limited resource, but the smoke could only be seen in the day time. They had to risk using their supply of wood now to alert passing vessels. He continued to talk to her even though she didn't respond, just to fill the silence with sound. She stayed silent as Seb pried Ophini away from their rocks. Using a piece of hard shell, with determination and desperation he overcame the little suckers equal determination to stick firm to their homes.

Juliet felt as if her soul was in shock. She couldn't imagine what life would be like now that she knew what Thomas felt like and to not have that again. They stared at each other. Apart and together grieving. 

No matter how he felt, Thomas could never apologize for wanting Juliet Higgins to live.

\- - -

Later the boat came, but it was the wrong boat. Thankfully the right one arrived soon behind. “She looks like a 'True Belle' right now.” Juliet said. Standing on the sinking remains of the hijackers boat Seb wrapped an arm around her again and pulled her close. It was the first time she had spoken in hours. 

  
  



	24. In Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her imagination was going wild because she could've sworn she was able to feel his warmth radiating towards her fingers.

The emergency room doctor explained to Juliet and her visitors that 'secondary drowning' was a rare occurrence. They were more concerned by possible adverse effects from the brief resuscitation efforts that were required. Together with the trauma to her arm and inhalation of water it meant that it was the doctor's expectation that she stay 48 hours, at least, for monitoring and intravenous antibiotics after surgery.

Juliet protested that she was fine now and only needed the bullet gone from her arm. The group gathered near her bed, Kumu, Noelani and Rick all had the same dubious look on their faces. They had seen how exhausted she had become since arrival to the emergency area. They had only just been allowed back in after the medical staff had completed their long examinations.

Juliet was looking paler and more exhausted than when Rick and TC had met up with the Coastguards and transferred her and Nuzo to their care from the _TR Belle_. Kumu had been in the waiting room, waiting for her to be transferred from the Coastguard ship to the ambulance and here to the hospital. Noelani had come upstairs from her office after being alerted by a friend that worked there that Juliet had arrived at the emergency room. 

Juliet's protests were cut short by hacking wet coughs and a nurse moving forward to fuss with an oxygen monitor then return the nasal cannula with oxygen back to it's place under her nose.

“Sure, Ms H.” Kumu said, “We'll see how you feel after the surgery.”

Juliet knew she was just being humored. “How's Seb?” She said, coughing again.

“He's being released, Noelani spoke with someone and he's having a quick shower. They just want to do another blood pressure or something in an hour and he'll be able to go. Lara and Jake are with him. And TC.” Rick said. Being OK and going home wasn't the end of it, the coastguard and police would be interviewing them over the next few days. Rick wished Gordie was here to do it, but he was working on The Big Island. 

Juliet was moved to a single room on the surgical floor. She convinced a nurse to let her have a proper shower as soon as she arrived. She felt sure there was still seaweed in her hair. But when she was under the spray of water felt too exhausted and her chest too bruised-feeling to raise her good arm to clean her hair properly. All she could do was stay under the water and let it rinse her. She didn't feel fully clean but being able to rinse off the salt was wonderful. Noelani helped her as she sat weak and shaky on a plastic chair to dress into another gown afterwards. It felt as if she had no real strength left in her body. 

Juliet conceded that she wasn't ready to go home walking the few steps back to the bed. Her legs felt like jelly now with the absence of adrenaline and the pure will power that had brought her to this point. Rick stepping forward to guide her, assisted her back to the bed while Kumu pressed the call bell so the relevant monitors could be reattached. Juliet sat on the side of the bed as Kumu moved forward to dry her hair as much as possible with a towel. Then with Ricks help settled her back onto the bed when she was too exhausted to stay sitting up, clean towel under her damp hair. Noelani fussed with the plastic wrapping that had covered the dressing on her arm. 

As the nurse entered the room TC, Lara, Jake and Sebastian, now wearing surgical scrubs, followed.

“I brought Dr Nuzo.” TC said sarcastically.

“Auntie Julie!” Jake said loudly and scrambled up to sit on Rick's lap so he could stretch over the hospital bed and give Juliet a kiss. “Daddy said you swam and swam and saw dolphins!”

“Hmm,” Juliet smiled. “We saw lot's of dolphins...” She had to stop to cough, a wet painful sounding cough.

The nurse who had been watching a monitor showing Juliet's oxygen levels frowned then turned to the group. “Sorry guys, but I'm going to have to ask you all to say your good-byes and step out for a bit, and then I'd suggest only one or two visitors until the end of visiting hours. Ms Higgins needs to get her breath back.”

“I get it,” Noelani said. “We are using up all her air.” She said it with a joking voice, but everyone who knew her could see her worry, good byes were said.

Oxygen was supplied with tubing under Juliet's nose. The plastic smell and dryness made her nose twitch. Intravenous fluids checked and heart monitoring leads were placed and the nurse finally left satisfied with the results on the monitor. Juliet was too tired to twist up to look at the numbers, a sign of the total body exhaustion she was experiencing.

Juliet looked to the corner of the room where Thomas had been sitting against the wall, head in hands since arriving to the room. Thomas had once admitted to her that not being able to touch or feel was torture. Now she really understood what he had meant. It _was_ torture.

“Thomas?” He looked up at her. “I love you.”

He smiled. “I love you, Juliet.”

“I...” The rest that she was going to say would wait, as Kumu and Noelani returned to wait with her until her surgery time.

She had wanted to tell him that what they had was enough. That love was the most important thing and that she would live as long as she could for him. Sighing, she finally let the exhaustion claim her and closed her eyes. Hearing the quiet voices of her friends only for a few moments before she slept.

\- - -

She was woken for the surgery and again after when it was complete. When she was finally returned to her room she saw Thomas looking frantic before he saw she was alert then ran his hands through his hair and staggered to the chair next to her.

“I never want to do this again. The waiting was horrible. I was starting to think they had to move you somewhere else, I knew you were close but I didn't know where?” A new nurse was checking her charts and ensuring all was right. Juliet lifted the hand closest to Thomas and made an 'OK' symbol with her fingers.

The nurse saw the movement. “Juliet? Do you need anything?”

Water, too warm for her liking, was offered and call bell placed in her hand. She dozed on and off between the cycles of the automatic blood pressure machine or the nurse checking her arm and breathing rate. It was easy to lose track of how many times she woke each time searching the room frantically for Thomas. Each time her heart thumping until she was reassured by seeing him in the chair next to her bed, sharing a smile and dozing again.

She was feeling thirsty and the sensation of her bladder screaming at her woke her fully from the medicated doze. A call for assistance to the bathroom answered and this time an icy cold glass of water was waiting for her as she made her way back to the bed. The water was glorious and she gave a heartfelt thank you to the nurse who helped settle her back to bed.

“Are you up to having anything to eat?”

Juliet thought about it, she should be hungry but wasn't so she shook her head. “Just keep the icy water coming please.” She needed to cough again her voice scratchy and raw. “My throat...” she coughed again rubbing at her chest some more. She felt like one big bruise.

“Yes, I imagine given all that's happened today and on top the breathing tube for surgery...” The nurse looked to the time on the monitor. “...It can leave a sore throat feeling for a day or two. You have analgesia available in an hour unless you need something now?”

“I can wait, it's OK.”

“Well, call if you need anything. It's just past 11 now, I'll be in again around 12. We'll keep the heart leads on, but don't need the frequent blood pressures anymore.”

It was dark outside from what Juliet could see from between the shut window blinds but she felt completely disoriented like with jet lag. The surgery had been late at night, after 7 pm. “Thomas? Are you alright?” She asked turning to her right side, right arm stretched out on top of the bed, dragging her no longer sore left arm over. She had a sling on to support her arm. Her left hand felt a little swollen and she opened and closed her fist a few times. They must have put in some local...

“Higgy.” Thomas said reaching over and she glanced down the bed to where his hand was mere centimeters away from hers.  Her imagination was going wild because she could've sworn she was able to feel his warmth radiating towards her fingers.

“I'm OK, I'm going to be alright.” She whispered, little finger moving over to give a little 'ghost hug' to his, only her finger didn't go _through_ his like it always had before. Now it was resting _on_ _top_ of his. Her eyes darted to his to see the echoed look of alarmed wonder and she felt his hand move over hers and his skin felt warm and dry. She was grinning when the monitor above her bed started alarming and she realized that it was her heart beating too quickly from the surprise. Her breathing couldn't keep up with her racing heart and the more she tried to breath in, the more she needed to cough. She was holding Thomas' hand in a tight grip. Then there were so many people in the room...

\- - -

The medical staff explained that she'd likely had a panic attack. That it wasn't to be unexpected given the circumstances.

As soon as they left her alone she turned around to look at him, to squeeze his hand tighter and grin, the monitor would start up again until Thomas would grin back reminding her to 'just breath'.

“I'm just excited. I'm not bloody panicking...”

“Yeah but they don't know that. You should have let them give you the sedative.”

“No.” She said worriedly. “What if I wake up and can't feel you again?”

This time when the monitors started their sustained screaming the choice was taken away and she was so tired that what ever it was that was given was fast to work. Her last memory before sleep was of Thomas at the end of the bed standing away from the medical staff, hand wrapped comfortably just above her ankle.

  
  



	25. And With Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wiggled her toes and saw him grin and give them a press. “It's alright now...”

Noelani visited Juliet early in the morning before her shift at work. She wasn't expecting her friend to be sitting up in bed, looking joyfully happy, drinking a hospital strength protein drink. The staff at the desk had told her Juliet had a bad night but hadn't elaborated and Noelani hadn't known what to expect.

“Juliet! You look great!” She said leaning forward to kiss her friend. She settled back on the chair closest to the bed. “What happened? The staff said you had a bad night?” Noelani saw Juliet's eyes dart to the side before focusing back on her.

“Oh, a panic attack, ...or two.” She said rolling her eyes and shrugging, coughing in her throat. She conceded the second one was a real panic attack and accepted the first time it _looked_ like a panic attack.

“What? That's horrible...”

“Oh, I'm fine, I'm sure it won't happen again. Just the painkillers mucking me up.”

Noelani thought Juliet looked fine, but her friend had nearly died yesterday, been shot, nearly drowned. Needed CPR! That shouldn't be dismissed. “Juliet, yesterday _sucked_! You need to give yourself time and permission to feel the way you do about it. Don't dismiss your feelings. It's really important to talk about them with someone.” She insisted.

Juliet smiled fondly. “I really am alright, Noelani.” Juliet looked to the end of the bed where Thomas was now standing. She wiggled her toes and saw him grin and give them a press. “It's alright now...” Her focus returned to Noelani who was still looking worried. “Morning brings new perspective.”

Noelani sighed when her phone buzzed. Looking up from the text she smiled wryly at Juliet. “I gotta go, work to do. Is there anything you need? Kumu wants me to report back before visiting hours...”

“Yeah, actually. I, ah, miss my phone. I think it's on the yacht somewhere. I hope. I don't think it ended up in 'the drink'.”

“Oh, actually that's a really good question, I'll text Rick to go check it out.” Noelani watched Juliet make a face at the taste of the protein drink and cough again. “Seriously, is there anything you want? Food, drink? Kumu will bring in clothes and toiletries.”

“Actually I'd love some sugar free lozenges for my cough. Oh, and I've been craving semolina pudding ever since I woke up.” It had been all she ever wanted when she had tonsillitis as a kid.

“Um, is that an English thing? I don't know what that is.” Noelani said unsure.

Juliet grinned. “Oh, it's not important. Really, any sort of custard or pudding would be lovely.”

“But isn't pudding like, ...cake in England?” Noelani asked.

“Hmm, sometimes and sometimes it's just pudding.” Juliet coughed again. “Semolina is a lot like grits only made from wheat instead of corn.” It was perfect sore throat food.

“OK, I'll tell Kumu...”

“No!” Juliet coughed again. “Please don't make her go to any trouble. I'm OK really.”

Noelani's phone pinged again. “Well I really gotta go.” Looking more seriously she added. “I'm so glad you are alright.”

Juliet held out her right arm and Noelani moved in for another hug. “You are such a good friend. Thank you so much for checking up on me.”

Noelani left the room reassured and started texting as she headed for the lift.

  
  



	26. Love Is the Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Higgy, The Universe doesn't hate us anymore.”  
> “It never did Thomas, if it hated us, I wouldn't have been able to see you all this time.”

Kumu brought her a container of Semolina pudding with honey drizzled on top and it was seriously the best thing she had ever had in her life.

“It only took five minutes to make once I found the flour at Safeway. I used almond milk because I know you like that...”

Juliet grinned around the spoon and after swallowing said “Thank you.” Her voice was sounding as rough as she felt. Her throat raw now from the coughing that persisted. Kumu was still looking unsure. “Seriously. The best.”

Rick brought her phone, she had evidently left it in the cabin of the yacht and thankfully on 'silent' and the hijackers hadn't seen it and thrown it over. She had a tonne of messages. Rick pulled a phone charger out of his pocket and plugged in the phone. “It was dead when I found it on the boat, could only get it up 5% between the marina and here.” He explained. 

Now that Kumu and Rick were in the room Juliet was eager to tell her news about Thomas who was again at the foot of the bed hand on top of her left shin rubbing her leg.

Juliet was about to tell them their news when a nurse came in to review her and jot down her current vitals. Soon after Noelani came in to spend her morning break with the group. Rick could see that Juliet was feeling frustrated about something. He had heard Juliet speak many times about how much she appreciated Noelani as being her one 'normal' friend who she could do 'girl stuff' with. However the Doc still wasn't in the know about Thomas. Juliet didn't want to change that. Despite his, Kumu's and even Lara's insistence that Noelani would understand. Juliet had been adamant that Noelani, Harry and Gordie not know, at least not yet. She still craved some semblance of normality at times. Shammy was the only new friend who knew. He had been witness to her arguing animatedly with Thomas and had been in the know since almost the beginning of their friendship. It hadn't been easy at first to prove to him Thomas existed. He had been sure there was some scam going on, but eventually he believed and said the idea was comforting.   


Noelani left to go to work just as Lara and Seb arrived. Seb was staring at her, worried.

“What's wrong?” Juliet asked. 

“I'm worried about you.” He said and everyone's gaze focused on her. 

Juliet frowned. “I'm OK.” 

“Hmm, well I got the impression yesterday that you would have preferred it if you had died.” He said bluntly. He had been worried about her all night and slept poorly. The look on her face when she had 'come round' after he had needed to breathe for her was indelibly printed in his memory.

Juliet looked shamed a moment before looking to the end of the bed past Seb's shoulder and sharing a look with Thomas. Her smile grew into a grin. “Seriously guys, that was yesterday...” she stopped to cough again, less wet sounding than the morning. But still painful for her throat and winced before grinning again. “Seriously we have some good news, great news.” 

But then a group of medical staff arrived and everyone had to leave. She could hear the sound of her friends speaking worriedly behind the closed door and one of the junior doctors seeing her distraction opened the door and told the group to 'be quiet or they would have to be more insistent on visitor rules'. So far they had been given a pass given the circumstances.

Her back was thumped and breath sounds heard. The threat of another chest XRAY averted as it appeared she was improving. Her wound dressing was checked as well as a discussion on her arm and hand movement and sensation. She was advised on what movements to avoid and what she should be doing. Physiotherapy would be needed to ensure full use of her arm. Then there was an uncomfortable conversation about the benefits of short term antidepressants, the benefits to sleep and preventing PTSD given the trauma she had faced the day prior. The panic attacks of the night before also discussed. Counseling was recommended in a manner that made her understand that she should attend before she decided if she needed it or not. Juliet kept trying not to look to Thomas, wanting to appear 'normal' as much as possible. She was sure tonight would be better. The team accepted her choice to try another night before revisiting the medication idea.

The medical team filtered out of the room and her friends returned. She could see Lara giving Seb a narrow eyed stare. Juliet smiled then held out her good hand for Seb. “I really am very grateful Seb. I'm sorry if I worried you. You don't have to worry about me.” She insisted. “I really am OK.”

Seb nodded and moved to the end of the bed, Lara moving forward to give a hug and kiss to Juliet. Juliet smiled as Lara moved back to stand next to her husband. 

“How's Thomas?” Rick asked. It had likely been a question all were itching to ask a long time.

“He's great, he's standing next to you, he's touching my toes.” She said grinning.

“What do you mean, Juliet?” Seb asked, unsure if he heard her correctly. Then the door opened and Harry walked in with a giant bunch of flowers. Juliet shared a quick grin with Thomas before her attention focused on Harry. 

Rick clapped his hands, “OK, there are way too many people here. Our girl has her phone back lets leave her to her visit with Harry.”

Before they could leave the door opened again and TC entered. “I'm so glad to see you looking good, Sister.” He said before continuing. “Shammy is on his way up and I texted with Katsumoto, he's stuck on the Big Island another day or two. He sends his love. I told him you lost your phone.” He placed a fuzzy brown bear into the crook of her arm before leaning forward to give her a warm hug. At her questioning look he added. “It's little Teddy to watch over you.” The intention clear that it was for when he wasn't around.

Juliet looked around the room grinning. She had the best friends in the world.

\- - -

Later, in the evening when all was quiet. Thomas whispered in her ear as he held her. “Higgy, The Universe doesn't hate us anymore.”

“It never did Thomas, if it hated us, I wouldn't have been able to see you all this time.”

That night she slept peacefully, on her side. Thomas watching over her staying alert, warm and solid at her back, her head resting on his arm and his other wrapped below her sore arm and resting over her belly. His face pressed in behind her ear. 

  
  



	27. A Truth, ...Kind Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So what do you mean, you can 'feel' him?” TC clarified.  
> “Just that...”

She was released home the next day with analgesia, antibiotics and instructions for permitted arm movements as well as details for her arm dressing. She was sick of being in bed so was in the lounge room sitting up in a chair. Seb, Teddy and Rick with them.

“So what do you mean, you can 'feel' him?” TC clarified.

“Just that...” She insisted, she paused to have a closed mouth cough, turning back to face the three incredulous looking men, “It must have been when I came 'back'. But we didn't notice till that night.” Her phone pinged and her attention was diverted, Kumu was at the front gate.

“I don't get it.” Rick said.

Thomas rolled his eyes, even if Rick couldn't see him, then picked up her right arm.

“That is Thomas waving my arm...”

“But...” Seb said.

“Come here,” Thomas said to her and leaned towards her.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“Just trust me.” Thomas was grinning now.

“What?!” The three men exclaimed. Although in her perspective it was simply Thomas lifting her up and away from the chair in a bridal carry. To them she appeared to be floating in the air.

She tilted her body towards Thomas to help with the balance, right arm over his shoulder. She giggled as Thomas, laughing at the joy of it, started to spin her around in a circle. The best feeling in the world was holding and being held by the person you love after being so long denied.

Seb and Rick were watching amazed and making sounds of shocked surprise. For TC it was as if a soul deep worry over his two friends lifted in an instant. He couldn't help laughing. Then he saw Juliet's face looking worried all of a sudden, staring over his shoulder. He turned around to see Kumu grinning, nothing ever fazed that woman and standing next to her Gordon Katsumoto, stunned silent.

“Oops.” Juliet said.

TC saw the flowers drop from the man's hands and his eyes start to roll up and darted forward to catch him, Rick close behind.

\- - -

They could touch and be touched, to love and be loved. Juliet smiled a lot more and Thomas was permanently grinning. The people who were not in the know thought it was a reaction to experiencing a 'second chance' after being resuscitated.

Those in the know didn't ask, their _imaginations_ wild enough at the _possibilities_.

For fear of scaring away the staff of Robin's Nest, Juliet was vigilant in ensuring that what happened with poor Gordie didn't happen again. It had been weeks and the man was only now starting to come round and accept Thomas. Rick and Teddy being his support and answering questions. Teddy told them that he thought it ironic considering how he reacted when he first learned of Thomas' post-life existence.

Thomas hadn't gained any control over objects, but he could feel Juliet now, and she could feel him and they were each others world. In the presence of others they kept touch to surreptitious movements that others couldn't discover. Their secret. But in private they were always touching, hugging, kissing. They couldn't get enough of each other.

Juliet removed all the mirrors and reflective surfaces from their room, but this eventually was true of the entire estate except for the bathrooms. The only 'shiny' things left were the cars and the oven doors.

When she was with Thomas she saw him solid, real and warm. In every way he was 'real' to her and she loathed not being able to see him in the mirror when she knew he was there next to her. Through exploration they discerned that Thomas could touch her, her skin and hair but had no effect on the clothes she wore. A pat to her back was felt on her skin directly, not from over her clothes.

The same was true for him, no matter what he thought he was wearing or what she saw, when she felt him it was naked skin to skin. Though she did still love to watch as he took his clothes off anyway, that had always been a delicious tease from the beginning. Even when they were unable to touch each other they had still been able to _look_. Juliet wondered why she had been able to feel the material of his wet shirt while she had briefly been dead? Now it was naked skin. She couldn't stop the physical reaction body to body touch caused. In company and outside their bedroom they settled on sitting side by side and only have their upper arms touching lightly. Or a rub to her shoulder or bare arm and holding hands in a way that didn't look unusual to others.

\- - -

Rick noticed he could see the skin on her lower right arm rippling one afternoon as he sat across from her at a table waiting for their lunch order. He wondered aloud if she was having a muscle spasm. She had frowned before realizing it was just Thomas rubbing her arm. Since she had temporarily died, Thomas' prior habit of rubbing his hands together had transferred to him touching her. He said she grounded him. She really, really didn't mind. After so long a time of not being able to touch, it was always welcomed now.

Juliet grinned. “Thomas is just rubbing my arm, Rick.”

Thomas realized Rick could see if he pressed into the soft part of her arm near her elbow. Soon he was tapping Morse code, a combination of textspeak, other abbreviations and military terms that were familiar to the men. It had them quickly conversing to their great amusement. Rick kept remarking that it was the absolute coolest thing ever and Juliet felt a part of her relax. She was ecstatic that now it wasn't just with her voice but _through_ her that Thomas could communicate. The possibilities made her heart sing. Thomas could speak to others again!

“Tell Ricky about the remote.” Thomas said excitedly, looking up from her arm.

Juliet shared a grin with him and nodded. Thomas had found out he could use her hand to change the TV channels after she had fallen asleep on the sofa last night holding the remote. Her arm being moved about was what had woken her. Juliet tilted her head to the side and realized something they should have thought of weeks ago. Probably would have if they weren't both so obsessed with touching and loving each other. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone, opening up a message to Rick, then sharing a grin with Thomas waved her index finger in a circle in the air before lowering her head and closed her eyes so she couldn't anticipate what letter Thomas wanted. Thomas understood immediately and was wildly excited by the idea. Using his hands to hold her hand he guided her finger to the phone.

“What?” Rick said watching her, his phone beeped with a message.

'HELLO RICKY, TM.'

Rick let out a 'woop'. Then unexpectedly after so long started crying. The text message from his friend the tipping point for his emotions. Juliet moved around to the other side of the table and enveloped her friend in a one armed hug due to the sling still on her left. She felt Thomas pull her hand away from Ricks back, then press back in a 'tap, tap, tap'.

“That was Thomas tapping your back.” Juliet whispered to Rick who laughed and nodded against her neck.

  
  



	28. Life is Not Always Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The last time Seb was threatened by two men and it had something to do with Gold it involved $20 million dollars worth of stolen Iraqi gold.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've mixed up ep 15 and 20 from S1 for this one. After all this is an AU.

Weeks passed, Juliet was finally out of the sling and her wound had healed nicely. The scar from where the surgeons had opened her up to take the bullet out of her and repair the broken bone still pink and obvious. Highlighted by the neat rows of 'dots' that remained from the staples that had held her skin together. It would fade in time, more importantly she had full movement and the physiotherapist had agreed she could get back to her yoga routine albeit carefully at first with her left arm and gradually adding weight. Juliet really didn't mind the scar, if anything it was going to be a permanent reminder on the day that she had 'crossed the line' between life and death and danced back over again. The line and it's dots was the perfect physical representation of what had happened.

They were back to working cases when one afternoon Lara called to say Seb hadn't collected Jake from school as planned and she couldn't contact him. He had gone missing from his office while the other employees were on a job or out of the office.

Gordon was phoned. Under no circumstance would Seb _ever_ forget his son. Juliet grabbed her laptop and then they broke speed limits heading to the marina where Seb's company was based. A quick login into the security system from Seb's office and they had film of what had happened to their friend. Earlier in the afternoon two men were holding onto Seb's arms, dragging him away past the cameras sight. The kidnappers must have been watching the office waiting for a moment that Seb was on his own. Seb had looked up to the outside camera and mouthed what looked like 'help me'. Juliet used the images to identify the men, one man identified as Nathan Brackett wanted by the FBI. She became increasingly puzzled as redacted information in the file let them know something else was going on.

Juliet used every available resource to discover Brackett was wanted for selling secrets to the Chinese government. Foley, the other man, was fired from the CIA. There the trail led to mention in a linked classified file that the two men were suspected of working with Hannah. Thomas' Hannah. The woman who had caused so much pain and suffering. Juliet loathed her despite never having met her. Juliet felt Thomas move away from standing behind her reading the information over her shoulder.

She turned back, leaning over the chair to see Thomas looking shocked and then angry. “If she's hurt Nuzo, I _will_ kill her.” he vowed. His fists were opening and closing and Juliet could hear the glass in the window next to her vibrating.

“Thomas, stop! You'll break the computer!” She said loudly and Thomas turned around and walked outside through the clear glass door to where she could see him step to the side as Katsumoto and several other officers and the Crime Scene Unit arrived to check the office. She quickly turned off her laptop and tucked it into her rarely used shoulder bag.

She saw Gordon eyeing her taking the laptop.

“It's mine, I haven't really touched anything. But we have video of when Seb was taken. Perhaps we could speak outside a moment?” She urged. Gordon narrowed his eyes, looking around the room before asking quietly, “Where is he?”

“Seb?”

“No, your _other_ invisible friend.” He said flatly. He was still freaked out by Thomas.

“Oh, uh outside.” She said moving out of the way of the tech who was looking over the computer system. “We know what time Seb was taken.” She moved over to the computer and ran the video again. This time she squinted then pushed the tech further to the side again. “Hang on.”

“What?” Gordon said over her shoulder, “What do you see?”

“Juliet?” She heard Rick saying at the door as an officer tried to stop him coming in. “Where's Nuzo?”

Gordon indicated for the officer to allow the man to enter.

“What is he saying?” Juliet ran the video again. They all saw Sebastian Nuzo dragged behind as the men tried to urge him forward, he looked up to the the camera and mouthed a message. “I thought he was saying 'Help me' at first, but now I don't think so.”

“Cold?” Suggested the tech. They replayed the video again, and again. “Cold nose?” 

“No,” Gordon said. “He's saying 'Gold'. What does that mean?”

Rick and Juliet shared a look before Juliet looked over Ricks shoulder and waved for Thomas to come back into the room.

“The last time Seb was threatened by two men and it had something to do with Gold it involved $20 million dollars worth of stolen Iraqi gold.” Juliet informed him.

“Tanaka told me about that.” Gordon said, eyeing the space around her, trying to figure out were _he_ was.

“ _The Roselita_.” Thomas said.

“Yes.” Juliet agreed. “That's why they needed Seb...”

“What? What's Thomas saying?” Rick asked and Gordon flinched at the implication.

“ _The Roselita_. Seb was telling us where the men were taking him 'Gold, Rose'.” Juliet looked at the time on the clock over the desk. “Lara called us at two thirty, they took him at one o'clock when everyone else was at lunch or on a job. It's now been what,” She checked the time again. “just over two and a half hours since they've taken him? How long would it take to head out there? There must be more gold on that ship.”

“Over 20 million dollars worth was recovered, but everyone always knew more was stolen, perhaps smuggled out in another boat.” Rick suggested.

“Or perhaps in a secret hold. Maybe in the ballast tanks. The wreck was there long enough it would have made it difficult for the police divers to find all the hiding places.” Thomas suggested.

“Thomas said there may be a secret hold? In the ballast?” Juliet relayed. “We gotta try. Where's Teddy? Is he in the air? It'll be quicker and we will know if there's a boat in that area. Only us and the police knew the coordinates. At the time Tanaka was certain they got it all.” Juliet ran a hand through her hair. “But, maybe they didn't?”

TC was too far away and a police helicopter was sent to scout the area and Rick, Juliet and Thomas were ordered away to wait for news. They sat around Lara and Seb's kitchen table and tried not to appear too distressed for Jake who was playing in the lounge room. After an hour of being stoic for her son, Lara organized for Jake to stay over with a neighbor. Lara kept her calm until she walked back into the house and started crying, Juliet helped her to her bedroom to lie down. Thomas was pacing around the rooms of the house, nervously. The phone call came from Gordie that a boat _was_ in the area with news that the coastguard was directed that way and was almost there.

Rick tried not to read too much into not knowing what the people on the chopper saw about the boat. “There would have been a spotter if people were diving, they would have been alerted to the aircraft. If they hadn't known that Nuzo was able to give a message about his location, they do now.” He whispered his thoughts aloud, in case Thomas was listening.

Rick continued to keep their large Ohana in the know via text messages informing them all of what was happening. Lara had requested as much normalcy as possible for Jake while they waited for news and didn't want everyone descending on her home as they tended to do when one of them was hurt. As she had said, this wasn't a wake.

His phone rang, it was Gordon. Juliet was still with Lara in the other room and Rick closed his eyes a moment and said a quick prayer out into the universe before accepting the call. Thomas hearing the ring, walked towards his friend and leaned in to eavesdrop.

“Gordie...” Rick asked, as nervous as he had ever been in his life.

Katsumoto told them what he knew.

Rick rushed to the bedroom. “Guys, they found Seb, he will be OK.”

“Oh, Thank God!” Lara cried. Juliet and Thomas shared a look and for the first time in hours smiled.

  
  



	29. Vengeance is sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Screw you, ...you utter cow.” Sebastian said fuming at her. How dare she show her face here? He wished he'd had time to think up another insult, cows were better than her a thousand times over.

**Earlier that day**

Sebastian Nuzo had been dragged onto a boat tied up and gagged by two men who had turned up at his office guns out and demanding the coordinates to _The Roselita_ of all places. It was unexpected and violent and he was determined not to assist them in any way.

They were well out of the marina when _she_ had come out onto the main deck.

“Hello, Sebastian.” She had said. Seb began to understand what this really was about.

One of the goons pulled the duct tape off his face. “Screw you, ...you utter cow.” Sebastian said fuming at her. How dare she show her face here? He wished he'd had time to think up another insult, cows were better than her a thousand times over. The other goon made the motion to pistol whip him but Hannah ordered him down.

“Where's _The Roselita_ , Sebastian?” She asked.

Sebastian scowled at her and Goon Number One landed a punch to the side of his face. Seb blinked and moved his jaw, making sure nothing was broken.

“I'm not going to help you, Hannah.”

“Oh, I think you will. Do you really think these are the only two guys that work for me?

Seb saw the flinch on One's face. “Well I'm sure they don't think they are working _for_ you but _with_ you.” He made eye contact with One to reinforce the idea that she wasn't to be trusted. “This is a recurring pattern Hannah. Getting men to to trust you then killing them.” Seb addressed One directly again. “Make no mistake she's a black widow. She _will_ kill...” Goon Number Two hit him this time. Seb laughed. “Oh, do you think she will share with _you_?” He looked up at Two, grinning. “Are _you_ special? You should see what she does to the special ones...”

“Enough!” She shouted and held a phone out for him to see a picture of Lara and Jake walking into school that morning. “And that one is from this morning,” She flicked to another picture of Jake playing, “this is recess and oh I like this one the best.” The picture was of Jake eating lunch _inside_ the school cafeteria. The bitch had someone on the inside.

Seb gave her a withering stare. “I _will_ kill you...” Two indicated he would hit him again. But Hannah motioned for the man to step back.

“He's a cute kid. Does he know you aren't his real Daddy yet?” She knew how to push his buttons and he screamed at her yanking at the handcuffs that held him firm to the framing of the boat.

“Where is _The Roselita_?” She said grinning, knowing that Seb would never risk harm to his family and that he would tell her all she wanted to know.

Seb knew his best chance was to lead them to it. Thomas and Juliet, Rick, TC and the HPD knew where _The Roselita_ was. He also trusted that Juliet would understand his message. She was the smartest of the lot of them. His escape would come later, when he was underwater. In his element.

He had decades more experience and training as a Navy Seal compared to Number Two. Seb had the strength and the bulk and the determination and when the time came it wasn't that hard to deal with the idiot. Number Two, the one who seemed to be the true believer. It was easy to remove his regulator and hold the man's arms down to prevent him reaching for his octopus, the secondary safety regulator. Seb felt the man stop protesting and go limp and he unclipped the man's dive knife from the band attached to his thigh and started his ascent to the surface.

Sebastian knew that on the surface the tank and scuba gear would be too heavy to exit the water quietly enough. Also there would be a risk of making too much noise to remove it all on the surface so he unfastened the tank and held it by its straps in one hand, rebreather in the other. He let the weight of the dive belt slow his ascent until he knew exactly where he was under the boat. With one last breath he let the equipment fall to the sea bed, open mouthed and exhaling the rest of the way up he made his way to the rear of the boat, holding on to the lower rung of the dive ladder at the surface he unclipped the weight belt letting it too fall to the sea floor. He listened to the talk from inside the boat and knew they were far enough away that he could climb up. Hannah in the pilot seat facing the bow. Number One closer to the rear of the boat. Seb would have preferred Hannah to be the guaranteed kill, but he would take what he could get. A swift motion and Seb had slit the man's throat with the knife. The man falling forward and dropping the gun he was carrying.

“Oh Sebastian, cleaning up for me.” She said ironically as she fired her gun at him without further warning. The motion of the waves rocking the boat and putting her aim off and he felt the bullet enter mid thigh. He fell down onto his knees, the man's dropped gun only an inch away from his fingers. He fired back before she thought to try again. She always was overly confident. She fell back from the force of the shot, knocking her head against the control panel of the boat and falling to the floor unconscious or better yet dead. Seb could only smile at the symmetry that he had landed a good gut shot.

“That's for Thomas, you stupid Bitch.” He said. Seb looked down to his leg, he was bleeding too much. He looked around, eyes lighting on a cord on the floor of the boat. He had enough time to wrap it tightly, high around his leg three times before passing out.

  
  



	30. But Kisses Sweeter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I have this awful feeling that if you see her, you will have some sort of spiritual resolution and, ...and move on, ...or something.”

HPD had been able to capture the third man that was involved that had followed Lara and Jake. They'd found he'd impersonated an official inspecting the school's kitchen to photograph the boy.

Gordon waited until Juliet left Seb's hospital room to warn her that by some time overnight the HPD were likely not going to be the ones to be guarding _the_ room anymore. The Feds were arriving soon.

Juliet nodded and turned to Thomas. “You should stay here.”

“No Higgy, where you go, I go.” She nodded.

Gordon watched on, not privy to the conversation. Rick had shown him photos of what the man had looked like and some videos that had been taken when Thomas first met Jake. Gordon had always felt that it meant something good when people had more laugh lines than frown lines.  Thomas Magnum seemed like a good man and was always spoken of in positive light. Juliet clearly loved him and their friends adored him. Gordon liked to imagine in other circumstances they would be friends... It was just really, really difficult to reconcile that the man was a ghost. That he was there but not there. Dead, but still somehow living. Gordon had simply heard and been frightened by so many ghost stories as a child. Stories of what ghosts got up to in abandoned schools and empty buildings, that there was part of him that shuddered at the idea of it all being demonstrably _real._

Juliet and Magnum being together was also a bit freaky. TC had told him to just think of Magnum as being invisible. But that was weird too, they were in a relationship. All conversations about them, they were always together, Juliet and Thomas, Higgins and Magnum. It was, ...weird.

“I'm sorry Gordon, could you give us a moment?” Juliet said and he nodded, 'sure.' and watched as she walked to the quiet end of the hallway, her hand out in a way that indicated Thomas was walking next to her, holding her hand if you knew what to look for.

“Thomas...”

“What's wrong?”

“I have this awful feeling that...” Thomas had lifted up his hands to cup her face, one now brushing the hair away from her ear. She couldn't help looking back down the hall to see Gordon watching them. She looked about herself seeing the neatly made bed through the viewing window of the door next to her. They entered the empty hospital room. No name on the board above the bed, no personal belongings. Perfect.

“What's wrong, Juliet?” Thomas asked using her rarely used, by him, given name.

“I have this awful feeling that if you see her, you will have some sort of spiritual resolution and, ...and move on, ...or something.” She looked up to see him looking at her with a tender smile on his face.

“That won't happen, Higgy. I feel it, my place is with you...”

“But you loved her once, you were going to marry her.”

Thomas sighed then leaned forward a moment so their foreheads were touching. Leaning back he sighed. “I thought I loved her. And I think I wanted to marry her more because I really thought I wanted to be married at the time...”

“To have a family?”

“That was part of it. But I think it was more about belonging. I knew that I wasn't going to be in the Navy forever and to be honest so much has happened since I died...” Thomas grinned and Juliet couldn't help smiling a little too. “I've lived more since I died, than when I was alive...”

“That's not true and you know it, Thomas.”

“I think that I loved her because she said she loved me. Because when I think about _you_ and what you mean to me, the past, the rest just pales into insignificance.” Juliet rarely embraced Thomas in public, but it was a quiet, empty room with no one to see through the closed shutters. She gave a laugh as Thomas' arms around her raised her from the floor a moment.

“I love you.”

“I love you, Higgy, with the whole of my ghostly heart.” He stood back from her. “I really do.” He held his hand out to her and her warm hand slipped in to his, squeezing tight.

They went back to Seb's room. Rick and Teddy needed to be with them for this. Hannah was what started this, what caused all their trauma in the beginning. But they had to end the hold she had over them. Answer the question, why she had done it?

The wondering had to end so they could move on.

  
  



	31. The Story Repeats (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I would love you no less if you were alive then were hit by a bus and all you could move was your left eyebrow.” Then she had leaned forward and asked him, “And what if you were alive and I was the one who was hit by a bus, would you love me any less?”

**The Beginning**

He didn't move on.

The beginning was much like the end. Confusion. The light that he looked at was so bright that it was hazy. Slowly the brightness faded and he saw that what he was looking at was a long stretch of verdant lawn. Then the ocean. It was very beautiful. A woman was talking, of Robin and his team. She told him to stay. Thomas didn't notice when she left. He followed the sound of the waves and headed towards the water.

His friends were there but they couldn't see him, no matter what he did or how loud he shouted. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why? He couldn't remember what happened that led to this incredible bizarreness. He was stuck in a nightmare and no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't wake up.

He wanted everything to just be normal again. He sat down on the lawn hands by his side. It took a moment to realize that he couldn't feel the grass, he looked around, he could barely smell the tang of the sea air. It felt disorientating.

He couldn't touch.

Before he had wanted to wake up, now he had a soul deep craving of wanting to be asleep, for this oddness to all be gone.

He 'awoke' to night time. There was no yawning or slow waking up, there was simply unconsciousness and then consciousness. All the stars in the sky above him in an impossible showing of how beautiful The Universe was. He blinked, he could feel his eye lids shut and could feel his lips with his tongue and the feeling as he dry swallowed. But there was no sensation from the grass around him. He could feel the sense of slight pressure as he lifted his arms against gravity. But at the same time he couldn't feel the ground. With a thought he pushed his hand _into_ the ground. Nothing, he felt nothing, but fear. It was almost as if he were floating and falling at the same time as staying still. He could see the breeze wave the palms about against the backdrop of the nights sky but there was no movement on the hair of his arms.

He heard a growl and startled at seeing the dog standing over him, teeth bared. Then with a whine the dog, a doberman sat down and head over paws looked at him. Thomas stretched a hand out, but there was no touch of fur. His hand went through the dog's head. In fear of having accidentally hurt the animal he whipped his hand back. The dog whined again. Unharmed. “It's OK, doggy...” The dog turned its head to the side as if it could hear him. Thomas couldn't stand the idea that it might not be hearing him and this all being his imagination so he continued to speak. “I don't know where I am. No one can see me. I don't understand.” The dogs' brother, joined them. Thomas looked back up at the night sky and all the stars. He closed his eyes and wished for unconsciousness, when he opened them again it was day time. The dogs were gone.

It didn't really feel like sleep, like it used to. But the ability to 'reset' somehow gave him the strength to continue.

He walked. It _felt_ like walking. At first he had boots on, but they felt heavy. When he looked down again his feet were bare. He thought about the boots again, and he could feel them again, they rubbed against the top of his toes and around the ankle. But rather than feeling grounded by them he felt weighed down by them. He thought he'd prefer flip flops and there they were on his feet. He walked more. He wondered why he was naturally walking on the ground, not through it. With that thought he pushed his foot down. It was too weird to see his leg stop at his ankle so he pulled his foot up again. Walls, trees, nothing stopped him from moving.

He rubbed his hands over his face, the scratch of his beard, _'when did I grow a beard?'._ That's right, he was being held, now he was here. It was an interesting texture at first but the more his face moved as he spoke to himself or the dogs that had taken to following him as he explored the perimeter of this land the more irritating it became to be. He wished it gone and the next time he touched his face it was gone. He slept again and woke again. And again.

He knew it had been days. Day, night, repeated and repeating again. Yet he felt no hunger or thirst. He pressed against his belly, there was no pain. Which made him wonder why he would even be worried about pain? But the more he thought about it, the more he remembered. He didn't want to remember. He pressed against his belly again, there were no gurgles or indications there was any function. He realized that he hadn't needed to go to the toilet since he got here. He looked at his hands, they looked like his hands, pink healthy skin. He felt his chest and wondered why it felt like breathing if he wasn't... he held his breath...

While he had an inkling of what the extraordinarily long time of breathlessness might possibly mean he purposefully ignored that thought for a while longer and _breathed_.

He avoided the buildings. His friends couldn't see him and he disliked hearing them talk about him. They made it sound like he was dead. Thomas didn't want to think about what it meant that he hadn't been welcomed home by his Father, his Grandparents. His Uncle Al who was so awesome... All the friends he had lost to war and along the way. His Mom had been sick the last time he'd seen her. Had left her house with promises that this was his last time away. He'd had plans for the future and had left with the ring box in his pocket and promises from them both to be safe and to hang on. What of his Mother? What had happened to her?

He didn't want to think that this was Hell. It was too beautiful to be Hell. But maybe it was... Hannah had betrayed them, he had loved her and she betrayed him. They were being held, he'd been shot, there had been so much pain, ...now he was here. It was his fault he brought her into his friends lives.

He heard a helicopter leave. He didn't go to watch it. Instead he hid near the front entrance where the gardeners were attending the gardens. He sat near a radio the gardeners had set up near one of their flatbeds and listened to the music that was being played and heard the conversations that were being said. 'A sunny Monday and a top of 78 degrees' said before the music continued.

Words that weren't English or any other that he understood were spoken, peppered in their talking. But from the body language and the teasing it was obvious that they were talking about the one guys new 'hot' girlfriend. They didn't see him, or hear him either.

Thomas learned that this place was in Hawaii which was what he expected from what he'd observed. But he had never been here before and didn't understand why he would be here now?

He looked down to his drab military issue clothes and with nothing more than a decision 'changed'. Thomas liked the new shirt, it was bright and red. He could feel the material a rough cotton. The shorts had big pockets and he found that he gravitated to having his hands in them, fingers pushing along the inner seams of material. Just to remind himself that he could still feel, to touch in this way felt grounding. With a thought he had a ball cap, Detroit Tigers, his favorite. With another thought he had sunglasses. He liked the way the ear pieces felt between his thumb and index fingers when he examined them. They looked real, felt real. He hooked the glasses into the front of his shirt. It was nice, it made him feel like he 'had something'. He learned that as long as it was within the distance between his outstretched hands he could put his cap down and it stayed until he picked it up or forgot and walked away. The same with his shoes. He tried not to wonder why he was limited to his height in distance as a measurement.

He hid among the palms when he saw Nuzo and Rick leave the main house. Thomas turned around and wandered back down to the beach. When he eventually decided to return to explore the buildings he saw her. She was watching over the land and Thomas had a strong craving for whatever it was she had in that glass. He wasn't thirsty but it would be nice to have something to _taste_ , something _different_. He walked towards her, was _sure_ she could see him. He thought he remembered her talking to him but he knew he had never met her before, ...no that's right, she _had_ spoken to him, ...told him to stay. He waved. He didn't expect her to wave back, but she did. It scared him, what it meant that she could see him when no one else could. The next he knew, he was inside the room he had been in when he first met her. Looking out over the lawns.

He cautiously stepped out and looked over to the main house. She was talking with someone. He stepped back into the guest house, hidden and hiding.

There were glimpses of her here and there as he explored the buildings slowly. He made sure to pace himself over several weeks, there were only so many new things to see and if he looked too quickly there would be nothing new to explore. He liked the cars. He wished he could touch their smooth shiny surfaces. He wished he could drive them. He'd always loved fast cars.

Thomas had learned that he _must_ be dead. That he was some sort of ghost. Dead but living this, ...nightmare. He had no idea what it all meant. No one had provided him the rules. He didn't _feel_ like haunting anyone, in fact the idea of scaring Juliet was anathema to him He went to great lengths to not bother her and stay away even though he craved their interactions on a soul deep level.

\- - -

Like hunger and thirst, he no longer felt the need for physical intimacy. Through curiosity and nothing else to do he had experimented to prove to himself that his body worked much the same as it always had in _that_ regard. But he didn't wake up horny like he used to do. Now it was a sense of loneliness that he woke up to. He sometimes wondered if he ever truly gave up he might just sleep and not wake up again. It was a frightening thought that spurred him to keep trying, keep exploring.

There was nothing he could touch, except for the clothes he could imagine. He took to rubbing along the seams of his trousers or inside the pockets. He could feel the softness of the inside of his wrists or the rasp of stubble. He could feel but not touch. He could touch but not feel. It was maddening.

He reached the point he had lost _almost_ all hope, having seen all there was to see around him. He had no agency, was unable to affect the world. It was a maddening existence and only his determination to _not_ quit keeping him going. _'Is this what happens with other ghosts, they give up and disappear for good?'_ The idea was terrifying.

He had spoken with Juliet enough to know she was a good person, seemed lonely and sad, something bad had obviously happened to her. But she didn't deserve to be _haunted_ by him. He realized that he didn't want her to learn that no one could see him but her. It became a way of being, a self imposed rule to not have her know about the ghost thing. He craved the normalcy, she was the only one who treated him like a normal guy. Who _could_ treat him like a normal guy. He didn't think he could bear it if she were frightened of him. The challenge of appearing normal kept him going a bit longer, gave him purpose.

Feeling a boredom so severe one day he almost wanted to be _really_ dead just to escape the monotony, he finally relented to go with her on her errands. He only hoped that if he disappeared to reset to the guest house when he went past the _barrier_ that she wasn't driving at speed and crashed.

Thomas made sure she couldn't see him 'enter' the car.

The furthest he had been able to walk was the first intersection of the road beyond the gates. As they traveled past it, Thomas couldn't believe it. He had tried so many times to get past that barrier. If he somehow could manage it, he would find himself back in the guest house. Now they were driving, there were new vistas to see, new places, new people. He looked over at Juliet who was concentrating on driving and didn't see him staring at her in wonder. Thomas thought she must be magical, ...or something.

He stayed in the car after she left. At first he was giddy with excitement, even despite not being able to interact with anyone, there were new things to see and hear. Conversations, sounds and music from the cars, the stores. He tried to systematically explore the distance he could explore and came across the familiar sensation of 'barrier'. Only he could feel it pushing him back this time. As if the barrier was moving. It did that around the estate when he was at the edge and Juliet was moving. It gave him the sense that he was tethered to her. He walked back towards where the car was until he could see it parked. Juliet standing next to it. He watched as she looked around and he ducked down so she couldn't see him. He observed as she settled down on a picnic table near the car. Despite not wanting her to be bothered by waiting for him he knew he had to take this opportunity to explore.

This was his new mission. For the longest time he hadn't had a purpose beyond exploring the estate and keeping the ghost thing a secret from Juliet. Now there was something new. It was exciting.

He turned away from her and ran until he again felt the barrier. Then followed it, walking through walls, people, cars. Staying focused on what he was trying to determine and not how horrible it was that he was invisible, had no agency on the world. He thought it felt like a curve. Then he felt the barrier 'thwack' into him. When he opened his eyes he was again in the guest house. Later when he saw her, she asked if he had taken an Uber home. He'd replied, 'something' like that.

He didn't like being tethered to her, she didn't deserve that but it seemed to be what it was, he couldn't change it. He explored his environment, found that he could 'follow' Kumu as well which puzzled him more. In the end he decided he was glad that if he was going to be tethered to people and a property it was these people and this property. After all it could be so much worse. But it still didn't explain why?

It was so _nice_ to be able to leave once in a while, though.

He began talking with her more, real conversations not just idle chit-chat. Juliet was lovely and her accent was amusing. She would say the funniest things in all seriousness and other times be so serious while being funny. He observed how she watched the estate and he would often wonder who she used to be before coming here. She was obviously bored a lot of the time and being utterly bored most of the day himself, he sympathized greatly. Even though he tried not to bother her, he gravitated towards her daily.

Then TC, Rick and Nuzo were there. Thomas found that while he had joked to himself about being a ghost, he didn't actually feel that good about it or really accept it until after other people recognized that he _was_ an actual ghost. He was terrified to learn that the only agency he had on the world was a destructive one and only during a fit of extreme emotional despair. It was a truly unconscious effort what happened to Rick's phone and with that glass. No matter how hard he tried it wasn't consciously repeatable.

It was really nice to have Rick and Seb to talk to him even if it was stilted conversation at first. He hated how it had made Juliet go crazy for a while, weirdly crazy. Thankfully that hadn't lasted. Then he felt bad for teasing her about it and he hated that he had caused her to cry. Most of all he hated that she was forced to be his translator, she had never asked for that responsibility. He had never wanted to be a burden to anyone while alive and that hadn't changed now he was dead! She didn't deserve being encumbered by him. He couldn't even touch her hand and tell her it would somehow all be OK.

\- - -

Thomas had always been observant, quick to detect patterns, to discern motivations and the men he had known for so long, his team, his brothers, they were _hurting_. He could see it, Rick's eyes were haunted. Nuzo, the 'Italian Stallion', always a large man 'made of pasta and pure muscle' was bigger than Thomas had ever seen him before. Theodore had always been the literal 'Teddy Bear' before they were taken, now, he was harder. TC never would have spoken to a lady the way he had to Juliet that first day. Not before Hannah.

He felt so terribly guilty for bringing her into their lives, he had thought he loved her, had trusted her. It was all his fault no matter how much the others tried to convince them it was _hers_. But he knew the truth and the guilt plagued him.

Then, together with Juliet, they had found a shared purpose. Being private investigators. Helping other people and healing their own fragile selves. He learned to accept his existence. To find joy in every new day. Friendships continued, life continued.

But it still didn't _feel_ like living.

Somehow and some time during their first year together he discovered he was in love with Juliet Higgins. She was funny and sweet, adorable yet could be vicious when needed. Smart and silly, she was his best friend. It was more than just her being the only one he could talk to. The feeling had slowly crept up upon him. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. There had never been a time that he had been friends with a woman so long before passion, sex and intimacy overtook the friendship part. He had thought he'd had that with Hannah, but the more he remembered the more he realized that the attraction and sex had come before the friendship and trust. Perhaps that had been his mistake with Hannah? He thought he trusted her because he wanted to. Not because there was any actual basis to.

When Juliet wasn't noticing he would look at her and wonder what life would have been like if they had met while he had been alive. He thought she was way above his league. Would she even have noticed him if they _had_ met before? He didn't think so.

He loved her now. Now he knew what love was really supposed to feel like, everything in the past had been a pale shadow. It was a profound, soul deep love that would go nowhere and provide nothing but heartache for him or for her if she ever learned how he felt. So he kept quiet and continued to walk beside her.

Then the man who killed her fiancé was at the estate. The one pretending to be her friend who had destroyed her future and profoundly altered the course of her life.

Afterwards, Juliet was weeping. No matter what Thomas wanted, how much he begged God, The Universe, Anyone who would listen so that he could touch her and comfort her, he simply couldn't. He couldn't hold her hand. Or hug her. Any sense of peace and acceptance he had been able to gain about this ghostly existence evaporated the instant he was unable to comfort her while she cried.

Then she told him she loved him and he finally admitted that he felt the same.

They began this odd relationship that Juliet said was no less weird than people having phone sex, or who were countries apart and shared intimacy over video chat. They could see each other if not touch. Juliet was sure there must be couples who had a 'no touch kink' trying to convince him that she really was satisfied like this.

Weeks after their odd masturbatory relationship had started he had again urged her to find someone real, someone she could touch, someone who could really love her and hold her. Juliet had looked at him from across the bed, hand reaching out to him and fingertips melding, she had told him to “Shut up, Magnum. I would love you no less if you were alive then were hit by a bus and all you could move was your left eyebrow.” Then she had leaned forward and asked him, “And what if you _were_ alive and _I_ was the one who was hit by a bus, would you love _me_ any less?” 

No, off course not. There was no circumstance where he wouldn't love her.

Days later, while everyone was enjoying a take out dinner and watching a movie on the projector screen she and Rick set up as an outside movie theater, Thomas whispered in her ear. “But after a couple years I'd probably Morse code with my left eyebrow that you should get a lover.” Her reaction had been hilarious to him. It never ceased to be funny when she threw things at him. The puzzlement on the others faces making him laugh more.

In time he regained his fragile sense of peace at having no sense of touch.

Then she died and her kiss was his Universe. For brief moments he could feel her, smell her skin, taste the salt on her, touch the material of her clothes and to feel the water in her hair. She was warm and felt more alive to him than anything he had ever experienced, living or not. It had felt like his Soul tearing apart to push her away, to let go of her, to push away the warmth and comfort. Juliet later told him that was how she felt too.

For hours after he had held her and lost her he had been in a dark place. Darker than the beginning when he thought boredom was what would push him over the edge. No, now he knew the true depths of what despair felt like, to have touched and lost was his undoing. Just as he had been debating telling her to forget about him, to find someone real and to forgive him and let him go to an unconscious oblivion, she had turned to him. He had been sitting in the hospital room, listening to the beat of her heart from the monitor. She had said she loved him. All the dark thoughts faded as he felt it. He could, he _felt_ it, she loved him and he loved her and it was simple. He would hold on to the truth that love _was_ enough.

Then after she had returned to the room he had thought he could feel her heat radiating towards him, more so when he put his hand down next to hers. Then their fingers touched...

He had a fanciful idea that their souls were 'mixed' now. He didn't care how or why it happened, he could feel her, they could touch now, kiss, make love, hold hands and most importantly embrace each other and give comfort. Even though there was no taste of salty sweet skin he didn't care that he was dead anymore.

It _felt_ like living to him.

\- - -

He held her hand tighter as they walked to the end of the Surgical floor to confront his past. TC and Rick beside him. He didn't expect resolution from this, but it would be good to finally have some answers.

  
  



	32. Justice is Being Meaner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This, ...woman had caused Thomas to be taken too early from this world. The long line of proud Thomas Sullivan Magnum's that would never, ever, see a 'fifth'. All possibility ended for money.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Hannah torture in this one. She deserves it the silly cow. I suppose you can tell I didn't think much of her character or story line. ;-)
> 
> I've amped up the after effects of being held and tortured for 18 months. The TV show is light-hearted fun entertainment so I get why it isn't talked about. But this is my turn to play.

Hannah appeared small in the hospital bed. Ashen faced. She looked like it had been a long time since she had enjoyed rest. Her cheeks were sunken. Juliet thought that it looked like it had been a very long time since she'd had a good meal too. _'Good'_ , she thought. _'She deserves to have suffered.'_

“Who are you?” Hannah asked wearily looking from Juliet to Rick and TC standing to Juliet's left. Gordon stood at the door arms crossed, silent but watching. Thomas, warm and present to her right despite being invisible to the prisoner.

“It doesn't matter who I am. I want to know why you did it?” Juliet asked.

Hannah shrugged her shoulders as much as the cuffs holding her hands to the rails allowed and turned her head to the side away from Juliet. “I don't know what you're talking about, I've done a lot of things.”

Juliet shared a look with Gordon before stepping forward and with her hand pressed down on the woman's belly. She heard TC's intake of breath beside her but he stayed silent. Rick looked on harder and more angry than she had ever seen the man.

Hannah screeched, the pain would have been sharp despite the analgesia flowing into her. “Thomas didn't have the benefit of surgery, antibiotics or pain relief. Why did you do it?” Juliet asked again. Hannah gave her a withering stare and Juliet just stepped forward again. There was no second warning before she poked her side this time. “Why did you do that to them?”

“Ahhh, stop!” She screamed, body moving away from Juliet's hand.

“Oh about that, you are on a private floor, there is no one around here to hear you.” TC said. It wasn't entirely true but said with conviction Hannah believed. He remembered how, despite their training, he and Rick had screamed at first when they took Thomas away to be tossed into the isolation pits. Nuzo had taught them how to stay quiet. This was nothing compared to the pain they felt then, the years lost, the life lost or the suffering still experienced today.

Hannah's eyes flicked over them. “I, uh I needed the money.” She admitted in the end.

“And what did you do with the money, spent it?” TC asked sarcastically.

Hannah sighed, “Something like that.”

“Why?” Juliet demanded.

“You wouldn't believe me.” Hannah said looking away.

“You know what? I probably wouldn't but I'm going to need you to believe me now about a few things.” Juliet walked the few steps to the chair that a guard had been using and brought it closer to the bed. She made herself comfortable. “Did you know that Thomas was good friends with Robin Masters?”

Hannah glared at her at the change in conversation. “What's that got to do with anything?”

“I just wanted to know what you were thinking and why you did it? You said it was for money. You had Thomas' love and his trust. All you had to do was ask. Robin would have given him anything he asked for, for you.” Hannah scoffed at that idea. Juliet shook her head at the woman. She thought about what Robin had done for her, so that she could stay in Hawaii. Juliet couldn't even _begin_ to imagine what Robin would have done for Thomas, the inspiration for his stories. Robin had been inspired to write after years of having 'writers block'. The White Knight tales were stories that had brought such astounding fame and wealth. Hannah had to have been utterly self involved to not have understood the depth of gratitude and friendship Robin Masters had for Thomas, TC, Rick and Seb for giving him that.

“Was any of it real?” Thomas whispered behind her. Juliet reached up to place her hand over where his was on her shoulder.

“Did you doubt that Thomas loved you?” Rick asked. Rick had never doubted that Thomas had loved this woman, he remembered when his friend had shown him the ring. He remembered how jealous he had felt that Thomas had found his forever... This woman had been trusted, a friend, loved as a sister for a while, yet caused Thomas' death for money. Caused their torture. The nightmares that never stopped... She sickened him.

“No.” Hannah was staring at the ceiling now, answers flat. A tear falling from an eye.

Juliet suspected they were crocodile tears. “Did you love him?”

Hannah swallowed thickly. “At the time I did.”

“But still, ...you sold us. To the Taliban to be tortured for Eighteen months and Thomas murdered.” Rick said.

“Yes.” She admitted quietly.

“Why?” Juliet asked.

“I needed...”

“What did you need the money for?” TC asked, angry.

“My Father...” She said finally.

Juliet scoffed. “Why?”

“He was a CIA agent, he was being held.” She shifted in the bed, “He's been held for years by a group of ex CIA agents.”

“Then why not let the CIA handle it?” TC asked.

“They disavowed him...”

“Ah, so he was rotten, like you?” Rick said before anyone else did, all thinking the same.

Hannah's head whipped around to glare at her. “It wasn't like that!” She demanded.

“After you got the money for betraying them why did you not at least send information anonymously about where they were? Thomas saw you. You knew where they were?” Juliet asked.

“I didn't know! I didn't.” Hannah insisted.

“Yes you did. You left us to rot because we were nothing to you.” TC said.

“I thought I could get you back.”

“How? You, on your own against so many?” Juliet sighed. “You didn't tell anyone because you didn't want to get caught out! I wager you don't even care what you did to them, do you?” Hannah turned her head to the wall away from them. Juliet gave her another poke until she had the prisoners attention again. “Before you go to whatever hole the CIA is going to bury you in, I want you to understand what you've done.” Juliet said seething.

“You sold them to the Taliban four months after they had leave. Did you know Thomas had bought you a ring?” Hannah stared at her. “He trusted you, loved you. I wonder, what would you have said if he'd asked?” When there was no answer, Juliet made the motion to poke again, Hannah drew her body away, grimacing at the pain caused by the movement. “Well, what would you honestly have said? What would you have said?” There was no answer, which gave Juliet all the answer she needed.

Juliet changed tack. “It doesn't matter does it, how long were you planning on betraying them? Before they came back from leave? How long were you stringing him along for?” Hannah gave a slight nod and Juliet could feel Thomas' hand slip away from her shoulder. She could still feel the heat radiating off him he hadn't gone too far away.

For a moment Juliet thought she could hear the glass start to vibrate in the window next to her and she turned to face him. He looked pale. They made eye contact and the side of Juliet's lip twitched up in a smile to show the 'hard act' was just an act. That she was here for him. Always. He echoed the expression and Juliet took a deep breath. With a slight nod she turned back to the prisoner on the bed.

“And all this was for your Father?” Hannah nodded. “Did you think at all of Teddy's Father? Or Ricks? If Father's are so important to you, what about Jake's Father? Oh, that's right, Seb told me what you think about that.” Jake had been six months old when Seb had first met Lara. When they met again and started dating Jake had been a toddler. Juliet scoffed, as if that made the relationship any less real. Love any less _real_. “What about Thomas' Mother? She died _knowing_ Thomas was being tortured. Did you know that? Did you know they were beaten, tortured, starved? So badly it damaged Nuzo's heart? That Teddy's weight plummeted and gained so fast that it set off diabetes and blood pressure problems? I guess that's nothing compared to your CIA washout Father?” Hannah flinched. “Or Rick, he spent the last two years terrified if he finds someone to have a meaningful relationship with that he could harm them because of his night terrors? What have you been doing? How many other people have you hurt? Taken away from their children, their parents?” She felt Rick reach out and hold her arm.

Juliet stood up and stepped forward. “You nearly murdered another of our friends today.” Hannah turned away again. “Look at me. Look at me, Hannah!” Hannah scowled at her. “Do you know how you killed Thomas?”

“I DIDN'T KILL HIM!” Was shouted.

“Is that what you tell yourself? Yet you did nothing to stop it.” Juliet looked around at the familiar hospital equipment, the intravenous fluids the machines pumping in a steady dose of numbing anesthetic to Hannah's belly. The other machine waiting for the time to dose a regular supply of narcotic. And it made Juliet seethe. This, ...woman had caused Thomas to be taken too early from this world. The long line of proud Thomas Sullivan Magnum's that would never, ever, see a 'fifth'. All possibility ended for money that would have been offered if only asked for. For aide that would have freely been given if requested. And this, ...sociopath who had started the devastating chain of events was now reaping all the advances of medicine. While Thomas had, as Seb told her, 'rotted away from the inside' as he succumbed to the injury caused by a single bullet in a hard foreign land.

“I need you to listen to me now, Hannah.” When she saw she had the woman's attention she spoke. “He didn't die straight away. At first Seb tried cauterizing the wound with gun powder. That stopped the bleeding. He lived for three days after that becoming sicker and sicker. It's what gave them the final push to escape. By then he wasn't able to walk unaided. He lived two days longer. His body rotting until the infection took him.” Juliet pressed down on Hannah's belly again.

“STOP!” She shouted.

“What stop talking or stop showing you only a fraction of what Thomas must have experienced?” Juliet turned back and returned the chair back to the wall before returning to stand over her. “When you get to your last breath, you wicked, stupid woman. I want you to remember what you did to them. Rot in Hell.”

TC leaned forward. “I don't forgive you, Hannah. I will never forget what you did or forgive you.” TC nodded at Gordon as he left the room.

“Go to Hell.” Rick added as Juliet turned and walked out of the room, Thomas besides her.

  
  



	33. The Dead are Dead and the Alive are Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A Police Detective and a Private Detective actually being friends? It's weird. The word on the street is she's psychic.”

“See, Higgy,” Thomas said, “no 'spiritual reconciliation', or whatever you called it, I'm still here.” Juliet held out her hand for him to hold.

“Spiritual resolution.” She corrected.

“Higgy, you really gotta know, I don't really remember the dying part that much...” Juliet smiled at his attempt to make her feel better about it, but the pale haunted look on his face now, and when it was mentioned, told her he remembered enough.

Gordon was speaking with the guards outside the door. Ensuring they knew the prisoner was ex-CIA. Probably knew a thousand ways to kill someone with a toothpick and had a repeated pattern of finding ways to get people to underestimate her, all for her benefit with no regards for who she hurt. To not be fooled by her. It was a strong warning.

Juliet observed the interaction wondering what the detective had thought of her behavior in the room. Juliet hadn't touched her any more firmly than a doctor would during an examination. But it had been a form of torture, even if the threat was worse than the reality. Honestly she would be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed causing Hannah a little physical pain.

“Do you think I went too far in there?” Juliet asked as they walked well away from the room.

“Nah, I wanted to throttle her.”  Teddy said, looking angry still. He had been raised to believe that saying _that_ to someone, _that_ threat was _the_ worst. That forgiveness set you free. But it would be a lie if he had said he'd forgive her. He didn't forgive her, he never would. He didn't need to forgive, he felt free and it was despite her.

“It was nothing compared to what they did to us, that she caused. I feel... I don't know how I feel. I think I have to think about it a while.” Rick looked worried. “I don't think she was listening to half of what you said, or believed it, anyway.”

“Hmm. It'll give her some things to think about though when she's in prison, ...I hope.” Juliet said stopping and turning to Thomas.

“It doesn't make me feel less sad, or less angry,” He looked up and shared a small smirk with Juliet, “or less dead”, he looked serious again, “...but I'm glad I know now.

“Hmm, that's how I felt after Ian.” Juliet admitted. Thomas put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side a moment before letting go. The others saw her tilt to the side briefly. Gordie frowned, questioning the movement. Juliet grinned and moved over towards him then wrapped an arm around his shoulder and gave a side hug. The movement not as pronounced given their weight and size differences but he nodded in understanding.

“What did you think of her 'Father' story?” Rick asked.

Juliet guffawed, “Not much. Real life isn't like it is in the movies or on TV. People might be held by foreign governments for years. They have the infrastructure to keep someone for a long time and there is always the chance of a prisoner swap in the future. But there is no real value in a civilian group holding someone for years, especially not a 'group of ex CIA agents'. If ransom isn't paid quickly the costs and risks involved in holding someone with conflicting ideals outweighs just cutting their losses. If he was important enough, or knew enough to be a risk of telling something important, the US government would have gotten involved years ago. As it is, the man is either dead already or not being held at all and Hannah is just delusional. Or she's just lying about her motives.” Rick nodded in agreement.

Teddy leaned forward and engulfed her in a literal and figurative bear hug. Then Rick did the same. “Hmm, Thomas said he's glad he knows now.” She said over his shoulder while looking at Teddy.

“Yeah.” Rick said nodding. “I'm going to go say 'night to Nuzo and Lara then I need a coffee. And some food. It feels like it's been a day since I ate.”

\- - -

Gordon phoned Juliet and Thomas that night to say that Hannah had attempted an escape just after the guards had changed over. She hadn't gotten far before being shot again, this time fatally. Also $70 Million in Iraqi gold bullion had been recovered from a secret hold in the ballast of _The Roselita_.

Juliet and Thomas had looked at each other and in agreement Juliet left their warm bed to shower and get ready. They wouldn't be able to sleep easy unless they knew for sure Hannah was dead.

They made their way back to the city in their favorite red Ferrari, city lights bouncing off the exterior.

Noelani wasn't on shift but the staff who worked night shift at the morgue recognized her and were happy with the assortment of doughnuts she brought. Mani, working nights this week, watched her as he pulled the sheet down over the bodies head. “Was there some doubt over the identification, Ms Higgins?”

Juliet turned to Mani after staring at the dead woman a moment, “No, just checking, ...we just had to make sure.” She lifted the sheet back up. “Well, we shan't keep you any longer. Have a pleasant evening gentlemen.” She said as she left.

\- - -

The night attendant, Nelson gave Mani a questioning look.

“What?”

“She sounded like the Queen, that one, the 'Royal We', ya know?”

Mani pushed the trolley back into it's refrigerated compartment. “Who? ...Oh that's Ms Higgins, she's the bosses BFF.”

“Dr Cunha?”

“Yeah, she's really cool, actually, despite all the weird stuff. Works as a Private Detective.”

“The Doc?”

“No, Higgins.” With a thunk the door was closed and Mani walked over to the sink to take off his gloves and wash his hands. “Word on the street is that she's been involved in a whole lotta stuff. Stuff that gets kept out of the papers too.”

“Oh, like what?”

“I don't want to get in trouble and to give all the details. But if you keep your ears open and you hear anything about terrorists, nuclear bombs and really really weird stuff with bizarre coincidences. She's always involved, _always_.”

“Don't be silly Mani, everyone knows talk about that Nuclear Bomb in the car, ...that it was fake. It was on the news, it's impossible to put a nuclear bomb into something as small as a suitcase.”

“Yeah, ...sure it was.” Mani said rolling his eyes. “Do you remember what type of car it was?”

“Some super car, a Porsche or a Ferrari.”

“Yeah man, go look out at docking. You'll probably still see that she drives a Ferrari.”

Nelson went out to the rear entrance, the dock where the ambulances and morgue cars came for all the arrivals and dispatches. Nelson ducked back behind the door. Higgins was sitting in the drivers seat of a Ferrari, talking with someone on her phone or something. Wow, what a sweet, sweet ride it was. He went back inside and washed his hands at the station outside the office then going in to the office, helped himself to a doughnut.

“See what I mean?” Mani asked, feet kicked up onto the desk eating a chocolate glazed. “Yeah, here's a story I can tell you. Remember the retired Police Detective who went missing and was murdered a while back?”

“Yeah.” Nelson said around a bite of powdered cake doughnut.

“Well, how they found the body after being in the ground for years, well it was all just 'by chance'.” Mani gestured the quotation mark with the index and middle fingers on one hand. “Her dog went for a walk and supposedly brought a bone back.”

“That's not that strange.”

Mani eyed the man, “ _Sure_ ,” He emphasized his incredulity with an eye roll, “whatever you say, the story is her dog 'just happens' to find a bone of a guy, that was a good friend of her friend who just happens to be a Police Detective? I mean _really_ , Nelson? A Police Detective _and_ a Private Detective actually being friends? It's weird. The word on the street is she's _psychic_.” Mani whispered the last word.

“What? Nah.” Nelson waved a hand.

“Oh I'm serious, she probably came in today to make sure that body wasn't a zombie, or something. Mark my words Nelson, there is something hinky about that one.” He said pointing to the place that held the body they just viewed.

Nelson looked around himself at the office. He had never felt weird about working here before, the staff were always so nice and he had never felt scared of the bodies, rather he felt sorry for the mourning relatives he saw.

“Seriously,” Mani added. “there are people in the military, famous people like that author, they all know about her. Keep your ears open man you'll hear the stories too.”

There was a knock on the door and a group of four dark suited officers who identified themselves with federal ID's entered the office. Mani and Nelson shared eye contact before Mani dusted off his pastry coated hands and headed for the sink. “What can I do for you, officers?” He asked over his shoulder.

“Just an identification.” Mani raised his eyebrow and darted a look at Nelson again.

“Sure, who do you want to see?”

They watched the four officers surround the same body from before while they stood to the side of the room. “See what I mean? Weirdness surrounds her.” Mani whispered. Louder he asked. “Do you need to check she's really dead? Cause she is.”

It should have come across as sarcastic, but one of the officers nodded and pushed at the bodies arm.

“What _are_ you doing, Agent?” The senior agent asked.

“Ma'am, she was after $70 Million in gold, she had resources, who knows, maybe she's just pretending to be dead?” The older agent rolled their eyes but Mani just gave Nelson a look and said, 'See?'

  
  



	34. The Story Repeats (3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gordon Katsumoto, seemingly constantly in the middle of the action, often remarked that he'd given up all hope of any further promotions years ago because of their cases. But it had been a long-suffering complaint said in jest.

Weirdness did surround them. Coincidences, second _and_ third chances in their favor was the norm as Juliet and Thomas worked together for years making the Islands a safer place.

Gordon Katsumoto, seemingly constantly in the middle of the action, often remarked that he'd given up all hope of any further promotions years ago because of their cases. But it had been a long-suffering complaint said in jest, it actually felt like he was part of something important. It felt like Thomas being there with them balanced the universe, _even_ if he was _invisible_. It had taken Gordon a long time to get to that point given all the stories about ghosts he had heard as a child. But now he felt that for every bad thing they discovered, for every missing person they found. For every cold case solved and every criminal stopped, that they were bringing the balance back to the side of 'good'. He felt that it wasn't just Thomas, but something greater that was on their side, helping them. It was comforting.

New friends were made. New loves and children added to their Ohana. The running joke among them was that Robin's Nest was the only place big enough on the island to hold them all together in the one place.

Then one day almost twelve years after Thomas had come to Hawaii, Juliet and Thomas had alerted Gordon to a group of people smuggling weapons onto the Islands. Their investigation culminated in a shoot out in the middle of a semi-suburban street near the warehouse they were investigating. There were civilians everywhere and Gordon was incensed that two of the the smuggling idiots had decided to make their stand here of all places instead of running like the others. Gordon was wearing his vest, he turned around to make sure Juliet was as well. Back up was only minutes away, he could hear the sirens.

Juliet looked about herself at all the foolish people out to watch the events on the street. “What a bunch of utter muppets.” She said. Some of the people had their phones out.

There was a shot, it was close, very close, the sound made Gordon's ears ring. “I'm OK, I'm alright.” Juliet reassured Gordon then gasped when she saw something, “Gordon, over there!” She said, one of the idiots accomplices must have doubled back. He was perpendicular to where they were behind the car, Gordon could see the man grinning as he raised the gun to fire again. Gordon, reflexes quicker from decades as a police officer, fired first and the man went down. Gordon turned to one of the other idiots now in his direct line and he fired again. The last idiot finally showing a bit of brains, threw down their gun and raised their hands. Gordon could hear Juliet arguing with Thomas so he eased out from behind the car and edged over to the first man he'd shot dead, he pushed the weapon away with his foot and edged to the second when a quick glance proved the man was dead as well.

He kept aim at the one with the raised arms, eyes darting about for other threats. With no more obvious threats he made the arrest and dragged the man over to where backup officers had now parked and handed him over, heading over to Juliet.

“You alright, Higgins?” He asked and she stopped arguing with the man that was standing behind a van. Gordon could see his arms drop through the glass of the vans windows from having been waving about as they argued. Gordon crossed the street.

“Higgy?” He heard the man say.

“I don't know?” She argued. Gordon stepped up on the curb. It was odd, the man she was arguing with looked like Thomas Magnum. The man saw Gordon looking at them and smiled. Gordon nodded his head and the smile widened.

“Higgy, Gordie can see us.”

“What?” Juliet asked. To be honest she forgot what her and Thomas had been arguing about. One minute she was avoiding being shot, the next Thomas was arguing with her. She looked at Gordon then down at her self, her vest wasn't there, she was sure she had put on the vest.

“Higgy. You have to go back.” Thomas protested.

“Where?”

Thomas pointed to the other side of the road, behind the car that they had used as cover. There were people milling about it. Juliet walked over, Thomas following. Gordon followed too.

“I don't think I _can_ go back this time, Magnum.” Juliet said quietly.

The scene came into focus for Gordon. Juliet Higgins on the ground, dead. Eyes opened and obviously shot. The high powered weapons bullet had entered at the side of her neck and exited more dramatically.

“Oh, Higgy.” Thomas said and held onto her with everything he had. He ran his had over her back, he could _feel_ the material of her clothes...

“It's OK, I _really_ didn't feel it.” She tried to reassure him.

Gordon looked down to where his friend lay dead and up to where she stood being embraced. He felt the gun start to slip from his fingers, he had enough wherewithal to tighten his grip to prevent himself from dropping it. He looked down to ensure the safety was on. Juliet was still there when he looked back, in both places. Alive _and_ dead.

“Detective?” He heard said and shifted his view to the officer speaking to him. “Have you been hurt?” Gordon shook his head. He felt his body slipping as he faltered and he heard the officer call for a paramedic as he took the gun. He could hear them say that it was shock. Gordon let the paramedics guide him to a trolley. He looked around at the people crowding around the barriers being erected by his colleagues. So many of them with their phones out.

_'Juliet hates photos...'_ Gordon thought.

\- - -

Gordon sat in the emergency room cubicle, stunned. He'd answered the Doctors questions, counseling sessions were agreed to and mandatory time given while the shooting was investigated. His Captain spoke with him over the phone and suggested it was all just protocol and would be sorted quickly, there were already at least three phone-camera videos circulating about the incident. It was clear who fired first.

\- - -

Noelani and then Rick were the first to arrive at his emergency room cubicle and they looked like he felt, devastated.

Noelani gave him a hug and then tearfully asked, “Do you think they are together now?” Rick wrapped her in a hug..

“Yeah,” Rick answered, voice thick, “wherever they are, I'm sure they are together.”

Gordon looked to the side of the room where Thomas and Juliet were sitting on the floor, knees bent shoulders together, and silently 'signing' to each other. Together.

“It's alright, Gordie.” Juliet urged, smiling. “I remember it was really scary at first. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Just get used to it for a while.”

“But I don't want to get used to it.” He answered back, frowning.

It was Noelani who's brow furrowed as she watched Gordon. Nobody wanted to get used to their friend dying. Particularly not in this situation where Thomas was so linked to Juliet.

At first Noelani had been hurt that Juliet hadn't told her about Thomas the first almost two years they had known each other. Even though her occupation as a Forensic Pathologist was so science and fact based her personal beliefs were more in line with Kumu's. Though maybe not precisely so literally before. She would have supported Juliet from the beginning if she had known. But she had known for the longest time now. Juliet and Thomas were so happy together that it had been terrifying to her the idea that Thomas would be still around without a translator, or if they were together, unable to tell them they were safe.

Now she looked at Gordon and there was something itching at the base of her skull a twitch that said 'notice'. She looked to the blank wall that Gordon was staring at. But it wasn't a blank stare, it was like how Juliet used to look when she focused on Thomas.

“Gordie? What are you looking at?” She asked pulling away from Rick. Rick turned and they watched as Gordon turned towards them.

Gordon swallowed, finally the infernal ringing in his ears from that gunshot stopped. “They, ...um they are sitting over there.” He said flatly, pointing at them.

Rick had a look of dawning understanding on his face. “Who?” He asked, too scared to be hopeful given the devastation of Juliet's death.

“Juliet, ...and Thomas.” Gordon said.

Rick was stunned silent a moment before he let out a 'whoop'. “Oh thank you, ...Universe, or whichever god, or ...akua or kapua” He closed his eyes and smiled, before quickly opening them and adding. “Oh and no offense if I thanked the wrong deity or whatever, whoever is causing this, ...just thanks.” He said feeling great relief.

  
  



	35. The End...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is this one thought that some are chosen to communicate with spirits by the gods, that they go through a period of 'divine illness' a 'loss of self', pain or psychosis and are only healed when they accept communion with the spirits...  
> “Oh, Higgy went crazy, like super crazy. She was really mean, too. Called me Ghosty McGhostface.”

Their Ohana were comforted by knowing they persisted. Together. But it wasn't easy for them, knowing that Juliet was now a 'conscious spirit'. That Juliet no longer was able to have direct agency over the world.

There was a grief in knowing she couldn't hold or hug one of the many children or even just pat one of the dogs. No more spoken conversations or private girls nights of cocktails and karaoke. No more all day barbecues becoming all weekend events where she could eat and drink and they could hear her laugh. No more poker nights where Juliet and Thomas ganged up and cheated. No more babysitting and no more driving fast, very expensive sports cars. There would be no more tapping code conversations with Thomas or funny animal videos sent by him via phone message...

\- - -

“Hey, it's not that bad, I don't have to pay taxes or get any more wrinkles...” She said looking to the positives.

“Higgins!” Thomas protested.

“Seriously, Magnum I was starting to get worried, I was getting older, you were staying the same.”

“Yeah, does this make you a cradle robber? I was almost 40 when I died. You were 46...”

“Yeah, I don't need any reminders of that, Magnum. Although it's kinda nice how my arm doesn't ache anymore.” Thomas had noticed, she didn't have the scars in the skin of her upper left arm anymore.

Juliet looked up to the window. They were outside in the back yard of Gordon's house. Kumu was inside talking with him. Juliet and Thomas had discussed it and they would be going back to Robin's Nest with Kumu when she left whether Gordie had come 'round or not. It had been a day and they missed their home. They would have tried leaving in the car with Rick last night and hopefully 'resetting' at Robin's Nest. But although they felt Juliet _would_ rematerialize to the guest house like he did, they didn't want to take any chances.

In the end Gordie had looked so lost they decided to stay anyway. Hanging out in the garden, or wandering up and down the street in an effort not to bother him too much between Juliet popping back in and checking in on him from time to time.

It had been a long night for everyone. Last night the couple shared the fanciful idea of seeing if there were any empty houses around as they craved privacy and the opportunity to try out 'two-ghost sex'. Juliet wondered if their moans would count as 'haunting' which made Thomas laugh. But the only empty house they had found was a bit sketchy and not _home_. They had looked at each other and agreed they weren't teenagers anymore and could wait.

Then they joked about finding a car which they dismissed quickly in favor of ranking the cars in the garage back home in order of 'christening' potential. After so many years of almost paranoia over her privacy, Juliet said she was eager to be more impulsive now she was invisible. Privately Thomas thought it was all talk, she hadn't changed one bit since dying and he doubted she would suddenly become an exhibitionist, even if invisible. It _was_ a titillating thought though. Then he had looked at her and the look in her eye told him she was being deliberately provocative. It was working. He wanted to be home with her so badly.

Talk had turned to the more serious around three in the morning, while walking around a small park they'd found. They decided to give themselves a few weeks to let Gordie get used to things. They had two active cases that they would organize to have sorted in the morning, somehow. Then they would give everyone some time to get used to the new normal. After that they would start following Gordon in to work. There had to be _something_ they could do around a police station.

By six in the morning Juliet was getting antsy with wanting to do something, anything.

“It took me a really long time to get used to it.” Thomas said thinking out loud.

Juliet straightened from an Utkanasana yoga pose and looked over at Thomas who was lying on top of a picnic table watching the pre sunrise sky. “Used to what?” Juliet moved over to him and sat up on the table as well. Leaning back and lying down next to Thomas looking up at the very last moments of the dawn sky. The sun was about to rise. Her movements were intuitive but, like Magnum had described so long ago, she could feel her own hands, but not the texture of the grainy wood they lay on. Her hand immediately gravitated to his and she shifted so the entirety of her side was pressed against his. She didn't feel any discomfort and his touch did feel grounding. The feel of him through two layers of clothes was unexpectedly thrilling. After a decade of only casual touch except when absolutely alone, it was actually really nice to feel like a regular _normal_ couple again.

“It took a long time to get used to everything being slower. Actions being less immediate.” Thomas brought their held hands up to his chest, rubbing their locked hands with his other hand. She shifted over onto her side facing him.

“Thomas, what are we going to do now? What if Gordie...”

“Whatever happens, Higgy, we do this together. OK?”

She nodded and shifted back over onto her back. “Off course together, Thomas.” The colors in the sky were pretty so close to sun rise. “I'm not ready to move on or whatever. _Wherever_ to. We have too much to do, ...and I want to see the new babies. I, ...I ah, ...I'm not ready to not know what's going on with our people.” She shifted so she was half laying on his chest and he let go of her hand and brought his arm around and through the table to hold her. He nodded in agreement against her head. “What do you think will happen?” She asked.

“What, with Gordie? I think he gets it. He likes helping people too. I can, well I _could_ see his face when he's wasn't looking. He's a good guy. He really cares about people. What's right.” Juliet hummed in agreement. “With us? Let's see what happens, take it day by day. That's how it worked out the last decade.” He pressed his nose into her hair and reveled in being able to smell her hair.

“Hey, are you going to sleep? You'll miss the sunrise.”

Thomas shrugged and mumbled into her hair. “Don't worry Higgy. There will be another one tomorrow.”

\- - -

The last decade had been dynamic and they had both gotten so used to their 'life', it had been so _normal_ to them. Now they were at a bit of a loss as to what the new rules would be.

During the long morning, talking, Juliet refused to entertain Thomas' questions over why she had been able to 'ghost' straight away. Thomas had to wait _months_ for the guys to dump his ashes at Robin's Nest. Juliet rolled her eyes saying it was obvious that she had no choice. Apparently she had even warned Gordie of the shooter, though she couldn't remember that part. She privately supposed that if she had just died and not 'ghosted' that Thomas would have gone nuclear about it and it was just The Universe protecting the world from apocalypse or something.

They were waiting in Gordie's garden.

“I like that I can touch your clothes now.” Juliet smiled, hand grasping the linen of his white shirt.

“I can't wait to get home, to take your clothes off you.” Thomas felt along the material of Juliet's silky dress. After so long it was a new level of sensation and it was electric. In the beginning after they had 'gotten together, while being apart', it had been good, watching Higgy had been literally watching living, breathing, porn. She was sexy and so, so hot. Then, after they could feel each other, making love had been much like being alive. But as pleasurable as it had been it had been muted. For him the desperation had been for touch, pleasure being a wonderful side effect. Now however, the want zinged through his body. It felt like he was running at 'horny teenager level'. Their kiss deepened until Juliet pulled away, not wanting to get sidetracked.

Thomas followed her forward as she pulled away from the kiss. “You seem so...” She whispered.

“What?”

“I don't know, you're being weird.” He was holding her hand again and brought her fingers up to his lips, tongue darting out to taste her skin.

“I can't help it, I can taste your skin now. It's driving me crazy.” The entire night had been one long delicious burn.

“What?”

He brought the inside of her wrist up to his nose. “I can smell you...”

Juliet pulled her hand away and sniffed at her wrist. “That's just my perfume, Thomas, what are you on about?”

“It's been a long time since I've smelled anything...”

“I, uh didn't realize.” Juliet looked around herself, sniffing the air. It smelled like it always did to her, sweet. Thomas smelled fresh like the ocean. But then again, she realized she wasn't smelling anything from the garbage bin that was under the carport near them. Or the grass under their feet... “And you can, ... _taste_ me now?”

“Hmm, you're salty sweet.” He said, eyes dilated.

“And you couldn't before?”

He shook his head.

“I thought you said you could smell food...”

“It was really muted though. I liked it when you described it...”

Juliet closed her eyes a moment, grinning. Thomas would swear he could smell strawberries. It had been _so_ long. He moved closer to her, to her smiling glossy lips.

“What? Is that lip gloss? How did you _do_ that?” He asked amazed and not waiting for an answer he devoured her with strawberry flavored kisses.

She pushed him back, not out of a need to breathe and wow that thought had her wondering at the potential. But because they were standing in Gordon's back yard, making out like horny teenagers.

“Home, Thomas. I want to be home with you.” He nodded then, leaning forward, touched her forehead with his. He was still looking at her lips in amazement. They moved apart reluctantly.

\- - -

Gordie had left them an old wrist watch, that he'd placed under cover in the carport so at least they could tell the time. The hour the detective had requested was almost up. They went into the house anyway. They were tired of waiting.

“You're early.” Gordon complained. Thomas would miss his Morse code and text message conversations with his brothers, but he was so excited that he had someone new to talk with. He was trying desperately to 'keep his cool' and not overwhelm his new translator.

“Sorry.” Thomas shrugged.

“Gordon told me of some of the traditional beliefs of his parents.” Thomas grinned, off course that would be Kumu's interest. Her heart was always going to be in Anthropology. Kumu believed that there was some truth in all mythologies. That there was a lot of wisdom to be gained by sharing stories. “He said some things that reminded me of you, Ms H. When Thomas first came to be at Robin's Nest.” Kumu smiled. “There is this one thought that some are chosen to communicate with spirits by the gods, that they go through a period of 'divine illness' a 'loss of self', pain or psychosis and are only healed when they accept communion with the spirits...”

Thomas guffawed and looked at Gordon. “Oh, Higgy went crazy, like _super_ crazy.” Juliet rolled her eyes and slapped Thomas on the chest. “She tried to pull apart a guest room looking for hologram projection equipment.”

Gordon looked to Juliet who was looking nonplussed at the memory. “Hey, it was a bad time for me OK? It's not like I'd been working with someone who could see a ghost for over a decade before taking on the job. I had no experience in the field.”

“She was really mean, too. Called me Ghosty McGhostface.” Thomas was smirking at the memory.

Juliet was beginning to look mortified. “Oh, I'd forgotten about that, that was so long ago. The look on your face...”

“She went around Robin's Nest turning off all the electricity to stop the 'spy camera's' from projecting my image.” Juliet put her face in her hands. Thomas gave her a shoulder bump. “It was still better than watching the coconuts fall.”

That had Juliet looking up. “Yes! I've been dead one day, the boredom is simply outrageous. I miss my phone.” She turned to Gordon. “Seriously, Gordie, feel free to say no if you need, but we had two active cases. If I, um, ... _we_ now,” Juliet turned to Thomas forgetting again he had a _real_ voice now with Gordon. “if _we_ could just tell you about what's going on. Perhaps Rick, ...no he's too busy these days with Rosie, um, ...Teddy could help us out?” She asked a hopeful expression on her face. Gordon thought she looked younger than she had in years.

Gordon turned to Kumu's expectant look. “They, uh want me to help them with some cases.”

“Oh, off course they do,” Kumu said grinning, “but, don't forget tomorrow is the cremation. We will have the ceremony in the early afternoon.” Gordon flinched. Hawaiian funerals were so quick, usually within 30 hours of death, there was so little time to think. With Juliet and the nature of her death it would be two days.

“Cremation? Oh, who die...” Juliet looked stunned. “Wow, that's bloody weird. I think I forgot for a moment, well I mean, I _know_ I'm technically dead. I just forgot the whole what usually comes after part. That I still have a body somewhere, ...woah.” She looked at her hands and Thomas threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He leaned over and kissed her head. She snuggled closer to him and he kissed her hair again. Thomas saw Gordon watching them.

“What's wrong?” Thomas asked.

“You're not at all how I imagined Gwisin to look like.” Gordon said at last. They looked alive, _real_ and solid. Happy and, ... _young_. Juliet had tried to tell him years ago, but he never quite understood it. He had always been told that ghosts got stronger the longer they were on Earth, more powerful when there was more than one. It had frightened him as a child, but now looking at the couple, looking so happy and _alive_ he had to wonder if there was any truth to the folklore at all?

“Ghosts?” Thomas laughed, “You know, ...we actually have legs.”

“You speak Korean?”

“A little bit. I'm pretty rusty by now.”

Juliet rolled her eyes. “Is this the part where you brag about Hulu jumping into North Korea to avoid surveillance?”

“HALO, it was a HALO jump.” Thomas corrected.

Gordon stared at them a moment wondering if all those ghost stories over the years were really misunderstandings and they weren't really 'hauntings' but ghost couples caught bickering? He grinned. Juliet was his friend and Thomas had been so present in their lives so long. Gordon was beginning to think that this wasn't going to be that difficult.

“Gordon?” Kumu asked. He turned to the older lady and smiled.

“They bicker a lot don't they?” Gordon asked.

Kumu smiled nodding, then put a hand on his arm. “Are you alright? Are _you_ experiencing any ill effects?”

Gordon sighed. That was a way to put it, no, he hadn't been feeling particularly _psychotic_ but having spoken with Kumu the words, 'loss of sense of self' were echoing around his head. The last few days since speaking with his son Dennis, Gordon's own aging and sense of mortality had been on his mind. Also this morning his Captain had called to inform him they had re-evaluated the shooting and that the higher ups were going to be looking more closely into why a civilian was involved. Gordon had been down _that_ exhausting path before. He'd had so many cautions over the years and was well known to be a rule breaker. _Was this going to be it for his career?_

Ricks name and caller ring tone on Kumu's phone broke his train of thought.

Rick called Kumu as Gordon wasn't answering his phone. Rick had received a 'heads up' from a reporter friend. Video of the shooting had gone viral and some anonymous source had claimed that Gordon had disliked Juliet. The reporter stated everyone was in on the story and wanted a comment from the detective. Gordon had frowned at hearing that and went to get his phone that was on silent. He unlocked the screen to see it had blown up with messages.

They had time for Gordon to quickly pack a bag and then they drove to Robin's Nest. They took the SUV Kumu had driven from the estate. Sadly Kumu had to see the Vesper move on to a new owner years ago. It was easier for her to drive a car after her hip started playing up. But the darkened windows of the prestige car were convenient now as around the corner from Gordon's house they saw a van emblazoned with the name of a local television channel drive past. Gordon pulled his cap down and acted inconspicuous and drove on. It was craziness.

  
  



	36. Is a Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, Guys!” Seb said loudly and Gordon sighed as all attention fell on him. “Gordie's gonna be a Grand Pa!”  
> There were hoots and hollers, loud whistles from Juliet and Thomas and a shout from Harry, “It's the best job in the world!”

Gordon looked back over the water. The people to his left were making their way to the comfortable chairs and loungers. To his right, Kumu was telling Noelani that Juliet had wanted to keep things simple and get on with the party. Noelani must have agreed because she just shrugged and tossed the wreath into the water and walked over to where earlier in the morning they had set up a large area of picnic blankets near the beach on the lower lawn. Most of the outdoor furniture from closer to the main house had temporarily been brought down closer to the water along with their large shade umbrellas.

“Daddy, Daddy!” Rose, Rick's almost 5 year old daughter called, running to him. Rick scooped her up into his arms, letting out an 'oof' at the growing weight of her. She was her own little person now and Rick felt a little bittersweet at the loss of the 'toddler' that she had been not so long ago. Sleeping through the night _was_ nice though. But it wouldn't be long until broken sleep was the norm again. Rick grinned at the idea.

Rick hugged Rose tighter. “Hey, what's wrong, kiddo?”

Rose ran her fingers over the colorful ribbons and awards on his uniform and Rick pulled her hand away in reminder to not touch. “If Auntie Jooly is in the water and the sand and we make sand castles, can Auntie Jooly live in the castles?”

Rick looked thoughtful for a moment then realized there was no real answer to that but the truth. “Auntie Juliet isn't really in the water and the sand. That is just her ashes.”

Rose stared at her dad a long time before tilting her head to the side in deep thought. “OK.” She said scrambling down to go back to play with Jasper, Jake's younger brother.

“Nicely done, Brother.” Seb said. TC nodding next to him.

“I figured if I said 'yes' we'd be making sandcastles everyday for the next year! She's exhausting. If there weren't more interesting things here to entertain her, she would be 'but, why?' all day! I honestly don't know how we'll cope with two!” Seb slapped him on the back.

“Double the fun, Ricky! It's the 'unexpected surprise ones' ya gotta worry about. We never expected to be doing it all again now!” Seb said looking over to where Lara was helping the girls.

TC turned to Gordon, “Gordie, how's your Dennis doing? Haven't heard an update for a while, man.”

Gordon grinned. “I ah, I didn't want to say anything given the circumstances but he called me a few days ago, he's going to propose to his girlfriend.”

“Woah, he's like what 25?” Seb asked.

“Nearly 27.”

“It seems young these days, but you know, when I was 27...” Seb said. Gordon rolled his eyes. “Seriously though, what's the rush?” Seb must have seen something in his eyes. “What? Really? You're gonna be a Grand Pa?” Gordon nodded. TC gave him a hug, slapping him on the back firmly, and then Rick pulled him into a hug.

“Hey, Guys!” Seb said loudly and Gordon sighed as all attention fell on him. “Gordie's gonna be a Grand Pa!”

There were hoots and hollers, loud whistles from Juliet and Thomas and a shout from Harry, “It's the best job in the world!” Harry was sitting in a chair near Shammy on the large decked area near the boathouse that had replaced the pavilion years ago. It really was more of an extra guesthouse, but the name stuck after Jake had been tasked with naming it years ago.

Seb gave Gordon a pat on the back. “Well, I gotta get out of these clothes.”

“Me too. Even though I can still fit in this old thing, it's too hot.” TC said pulling his collar away from his neck. Rick grinned at his friend. The new diet Stella had TC on was working.

\- - -

Gordon felt like he was on a stage with everyone looking at him after that announcement. Juliet and Thomas were mid-way up the lower lawn, dogs near them. They had lost Apollo and Zeus two years ago, 'The Lad's' going within days of each other which had been distressing to Juliet and Thomas. Jake and Jasper had been distraught as the two dobermans were a part of Robin's Nest for so long. They were pets more than guard dogs for most of their lives. In time Juliet and Thomas had brought to Robin's Nest from the shelter a senior German Sheppard called 'Click' and a total mutt called 'Bozo'. He turned out to actually be really clever and the dog transitioned to the name 'Bono' instead. It was Thomas' idea. “Out of respect to the dog.” Juliet told everyone, Thomas had said at the time.

Closer to the beach Robin Masters was taking off his suit jacket and rolling his sleeves up as he settled into a lounge chair near Shammy. Earlier, Robin had informed Gordon that Juliet had moved into the guest house with Thomas years ago when their Ohana grew. They had more privacy and it left the main house for guests staying overnight after one of their regular all weekend barbecues. Robin told him that Gordon was obviously welcome to continue to live at the main house as long as he wished.

Robin had said poetically that 'the land' had chosen him. If and when Gordon retired from the Police Force there was obviously a job waiting for him here at the 'Nest when he wanted it.

Gordon was extremely grateful for the offer. Since yesterday the story in the news had gained traction. Currently the media had no idea he was here on the estate which was a relief to all. At least they could have this day in peace. Their Ohana had a great sense of protection over each other. Thomas' presence and Juliet's ability to interact with him was kept highly secret. No body in the group were big social media users or posters of pictures on-line until the children had started arriving and those had been private. Everyone had picked up on Juliet's sadness that despite Thomas _being_ there, he couldn't be _in_ photographs with them. The same way she had removed the mirrors from all but the bathrooms, they just didn't take many personal photos while at the estate because they wouldn't show Thomas to be where Juliet knew he had been.

With the media's narrative that Gordon had hated her, which was an utterly bizarre idea to all, no one outside their family had thought that he would possibly be at the private ceremony. Thankfully they had all been left in peace and there were no paparazzi about. It was always a risk with Robin who had to sneak onto the island this visit. It had been such a concern that Seb had organized several of his salvage crew to be around and would warn them if an unexpected boat was in the area. They couldn't control drones and the like, but so far they were being left in peace.

That morning, Gordon had finally accepted Robin's offer of one of his lawyers and his publicity manager, after much nagging by Juliet and Thomas. The couple had disappeared into the guest house when they arrived the afternoon before. Seen again when Robin had arrived to the property in the morning and TC had been tasked with walking over to the guest house. He'd loudly banged on their front door, shouting 'Honeymoons over guys, we gotta talk.' It had taken another hour for them to show up at the main house. Holding hands, grinning and looking utterly in love, for the discussion on how to handle Gordon's media problem.

They lawyers were going to be flying in tomorrow to help Gordon draft a statement after they met with his union rep, the situation was _that_ crazy. Seriously crazy. Gordon wondered if _this_ was to be the _battle_ he needed to overcome. His own 'Divine Illness'. That in this case the difficulty wasn't accepting the talking to ghosts part, but accepting that his privacy, his job and his reputation were being threatened. He hated reporters and journalists, these days they didn't report the news fairly but just trawled social media sites and peddled gossip. He loathed the idea of having to deal with it all.

Maybe his battle was about really learning to accept help from others? Well, if that _were_ true, he had the best group of people to fall back on.

Robin's hadn't been the only job offer. Harry Brown, now in his 80's and long retired, urged Gordon to consider just outright retiring from the police force. That he had put in much more than 'his 20' and if he wanted there was a PI business waiting for him. Then he'd winked and said 'and for both of _them_.' Higgins had long ago qualified for her PI license and "Higgins and Magnum, PI's" _was_ looking for a new _living_ investigator.

Gordon resolved to think about it tomorrow. Today was for family.

Noelani and Kumu were now looking comfortable on shaded loungers next to Aster, Rick's partner, laying on her side also with her feet up looking just about ready for their second child from the size of her. Next to her on a blanket on the lawn was Jasper, their Ohana's first 'middle kid' being eight years younger than his brother Jake. Seb had told them all Jasper had a 'not so secret crush' on Aster, who was a part time singer. Rose and Ailani, Noelani's daughter played with trucks and dolls at their feet.

Dannie, who had been part of the family for years now, said 'Congratulations Grandpa', as he passed by. Her girlfriend, Felicity, who everyone called 'Flipper' or 'Flip', sitting on a picnic blanket under a shade umbrella, waved. He grinned and waved back.

Stella, TC's wife, walked over to congratulate him. Gordon hugged her, then she moved back to where her two daughters were crying. They were being comforted by Lara. Despite the joyful ambiance for the adults it was still difficult for the 'middle' children to understand. At 9 and 11 the girls were having a difficult time.

Rick sighed, “Well I gotta get out of these clothes so I don't melt.” He headed to the boat house and as he entered, Seb and TC came out looking much more relaxed out of uniform. Stella reaching for TC gave him a half hug and together they gave assurance to the girls that it will all be OK. TC relished the role of 'step dad'. He'd been waiting his whole adult life for fatherhood and had finally found it after meeting Stella six years ago.

Lara walked with him as he walked up to the decking area to find seats and a much needed beer for him and icy drink for her. She looked like she was very ready for the birth herself, but still had two months to go. He held her arm as they walked on the soft sand. “It's so much harder now than it was 16 years ago with Jake.” She said shaking her head, smiling. She rested a hand on his arm and they stopped walking a moment. She leaned in to give him a kiss on each cheek, “For today _and_ for your good news. Congratulations, Gordon.”

\- - -

Jake caught his attention once he was alone. “Uncle Gordie?” The young man, who was now taller than him, asked timidly. “Are Juliet and Thomas,” he spoke quietly so the 'kid's' couldn't hear them. “...are they _really_ OK?”

Gordon smiled and looked over to where the two had been sitting on the lawn. Juliet was now half lying over Thomas and kissing him passionately like the famous scene in 'From Here to Eternity'. ' _Now that_ _ **is**_ _inappropriate'_ , Gordon thought, _'didn't they know they were at a supposed funeral?'_

Gordon laughed. “They are great, Jake. Really great.”

They really were, all of them. Whatever happened tomorrow, or the next day, they would all be alright.

\- - -

Fin,

…a Dolphin's Fin

;-)

\- - -  
The end is a beginning.

It's beautiful here  
One conversation more  
A place of friendship  
A place to explore.

Becomes a nightmare  
Don't say she's crazy  
She already knows  
She persists  
And grows when she lets go.

Because it wasn't about you  
It was about 'we'  
It's the story of the Ghost and the Lady!  
How they found work,  
Friends and family!

The story repeats  
Seen before  
It was because of love lost  
And of Love some more.

Things stay the same, changed  
And changed, stay the same  
A soul deep love  
In Sickness and with love  
Love is the same  
A truth, ... kind of.

Life is not always happy.

Vengeance is sweet  
But kisses sweeter  
The story repeats  
Justice is being meaner.

The dead are dead  
And the alive are living  
The story repeats  
The end is a beginning!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I held myself back from interrupting the story with lots of author notes, so please indulge me now. What do you think? Did you like it? It was fun to write.   
> I like stories that unfold and as I read them go 'huh?' then as the story progresses I go 'Oh?' and when I re-read them go 'Ahhh'. I hope I did that with this.   
> Yes it is difficult to write a story summery in poetry using chapter titles that make sense for each chapter. No, never, ever doing that again.   
> Please comment or ask a question. Correct me, critique me. It's hard to not get word blind and read what I want to read versus read what's actually there. So please correct me if there is an oopsie, or I 'rote sumthink dum thayt maiks know sence.'  
> Until next time. ;-)


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